Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued a travel alert for Fiji, warning travellers that HIV infection rates are rising after the Fijian Government declared an HIV outbreak.
In its advisory, DFAT urged visitors to take precautions if engaging in activities that may expose them to the risk of infection, noting the growing public health concern in the country.
“The rates of HIV/AIDS infections are rising, and the Fiji Government has declared an HIV outbreak. Take precautions if you engage in activities that may expose you to the risk of infection,” states the advisory.
The warning comes as UNAIDS and Fiji’s Ministry of Health project that HIV/AIDS cases are set to double this year, potentially pushing total infections beyond 3,000 in a nation of fewer than one million people.
A rapid assessment released in December by the World Health Organization and the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales found widespread unsafe injecting practices, identified as one of the major drivers behind Fiji’s accelerating HIV rates.
According to UNAIDS modelling, the true scale of the epidemic could be significantly higher than official figures, with an estimated 6,100 people living with HIV in 2024, compared with about 2,000 in 2020.
Data also shows a sharp shift in transmission patterns, with nearly half of all new HIV patients in 2024 being people who inject drugs, raising concerns among health authorities about harm reduction, access to treatment and the broader social impact of the outbreak.
