PACIFIC Island nations must unite and share vital public health strategies to effectively combat the region’s rapidly growing HIV epidemic, health leaders heard in Nadi yesterday.
Speaking at the 2026 Pacific HIV Symposium at the Sheraton Fiji Golf Resort and Spa, Interim Lead for the SRH and HIV unit Dr Jason Michell called for a unified regional response to the public health crisis.
Dr Michell said no single government or organisation could address the challenge in isolation, emphasizing that enduring responses are built through collaboration.
“When Fiji declared a national HIV outbreak last year, we did not have all the answers, and the truth is, we still don’t.
“But we have learned something true about every country here. No government, no ministry or community can solve HIV alone.”
While Fiji faces a rapidly growing epidemic and Papua New Guinea continues to face enormous challenges, Dr Mitchell said epidemiology was changing across the entire region.
The two-day symposium was established out of necessity and hope, aiming to create a platform where islands can benefit from shared knowledge on prevention, treatment, and stigma reduction.
“If one island discovers a better way of preventing HIV, keep people on treatment or reduce stigma, every island should benefit from that knowledge.
“That is the purpose of these two days, not simply to exchange presentations and share data, but to build a stronger Pacific response together.”
Dr Michell urged participants to approach the summit with openness, focusing on practical frontline solutions for clinicians, peer workers, and policymakers.
“I ask all of us to make this a place of honesty, for learning, not blaming, for reflection, not criticism, and for preparedness, not panic.
“Share your successes, but also share the failures openly.”
