Fiji has been reporting a significant rise in the incidence of Human immunodeficiency (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) over the last 3 years. Health officials estimate that about 9,000 people are living with HIV in Fiji today, nearly 1% of the population. A startling 2,016 new cases of HIV alone were reported in 2025, compared to 1,583 cases in 2024. Among people starting HIV treatment in 2024, 48% were people who inject drugs, highlighting the disproportionate impact on this group, and unsafe injecting drug use being the major driver of transmission, exposing urgent gaps in access to prevention and stigma-free care.

In addition, an estimated 59 infants were born with HIV in 2025, up from 31 in 2024, demonstrating the spread of HIV through sexual transmission and from birthing parent to child. There are limited epidemiological data available on HCV in Fiji but it's sharp rise has also been observed.

Links:

• Fiji strengthens its HIV response through evidence-based harm reduction
• Fiji’s HIV Epidemic Escalates
• Strengthening Fiji’s HIV response through shared expertise and regional collaboration

Participants:

Host: Ass Prof/Dr Fabiola Martin, Canberra Sexual Health Centre and Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

Dr Jason Mitchell, Lead of the SRH and HIV Unit at Ministry of Health and Medical Services and Chairperson of the National HIV Outbreak and Cluster Response Taskforce in Fiji

Previously we reported on the Rise of Syphilis world wide. Today we focus on the devastating effects of syphilis on parents and their children. Hand in hand with an increase in syphilis incidence in adults the rates of congenital syphilis are rising and missed opportunities to test and treat birthing parents, their partners and babies are preventable contributing factors. Congenital syphilis is caused by Treponema pallidum transmission to the foetus during pregnancy and birth, resulting in diverse clinical presentations. Congenital syphilis in a foetus may be associated with a full-term, seemingly healthy infant, but it can also cause multi-organ dysfunction, prematurity, and/or stillbirth. Routine screening and early treatment of pregnant people affected by syphilis is the hallmark of effective intervention to decrease infant morbidity and mortality.

Host: Ass Prof/Dr Fabiola Martin, Canberra Sexual Health Centre and Australian National University, Canberra, Australia Guests:

- Professor Clare Nourse, Member of the Order of Australia, a paediatric infection specialist at the Queensland Children’s Hospital and clinical professor of paediatrics at the University of Queensland - Dr Justin Penner, Consultant in paediatric infectious diseases at Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust, London, UK and Honorary Senior Lecturer, Imperial College London