The Minister of Women, Children and Social Protection has issued a stark warning that rising HIV infections among women and newborns are being fuelled by high-risk behaviour among men, particularly those involved in drug use and street-based activities.
Speaking during the 16 Days of Activism campaign in Suva last night, Minister Sasji Kiran said Fiji must urgently confront the connection between violence, drug use and HIV transmission.
“We need to think about all the different types of violence, and in particular HIV/AIDS, which has come back and has become a crisis,” she said.
“Today’s reports indicate that 67 per cent of HIV victims are men—reportedly because of drug use.”
She said many people assume that HIV transmission is mainly linked to injectable drug use, but the reality is far more complex and deeply gendered.
“The misconception is that it’s just injectables,” she explained. “But that doesn’t hit home for the women who have no control over it.”
Ms Kiran added troubling patterns have emerged, where men engaging in risky behaviour outdoors—often tied to drugs or unsafe sexual practices—are unknowingly bringing HIV back into their homes.
“We have seen it again and again—men who have been on the streets are taking these risks back to family members,” she said.
“Before we know it, the women, unknowingly, are affected.”
She added that the ripple effects are devastating, with more women now giving birth to HIV-positive infants.
“Sadly, we are seeing more mothers delivering babies with HIV,” she said.
