Fiji, a small South Pacific nation, is grappling with one of the world’s fastest-growing HIV epidemics, driven largely by intravenous drug use. Over the past decade, the number of HIV cases has surged from fewer than 500 in 2014 to nearly 5,900 by 2024, marking an elevenfold increase. In 2024 alone, Fiji recorded 1,583 new cases, with 41 of them involving individuals aged 15 or younger. The youngest known case, a ten-year-old boy, highlights the alarming spread of the virus among youth.
‘They’re not just sharing needles, they’re sharing blood’: How HIV cases soared in Fiji
