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On 15 September 2026, Fiji's Health Minister Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu declared HIV a national emergency, following a Cabinet decision of 9 September.
About 1 in 60 Fijian adults now lives with HIV, up from 1 in 167 five years earlier. New infections rose 12-fold between 2010 and 2025.
Only 39% of people living with HIV knew their status, and just 22% were on antiretroviral treatment in 2025.
The response includes free testing and treatment, wider PrEP (including long-acting injectables) and a needle and syringe programme that will need legislative amendments.
Fiji had declared an HIV 'outbreak' in January 2025. UNAIDS has pledged support.
Close the diagnosis and treatment gap
Key: Free testing, free ART for everyone who tests positive, wider PrEP including twice-yearly long-acting injectables, community and peer outreach, and a Cabinet subcommittee to remove policy barriers
Harm reduction for people who inject drugs
Key: Supplies clean needles and syringes. The legislative amendments it needs go to Parliament
Cut annual new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths by 80% by 2025-26 from the 2010 baseline
Key: 2021-26; a Central Sector scheme fully funded by the Centre; outlay ₹15,471.94 crore; run by NACO
Leads the UN's global HIV response and set the 95-95-95 targets
Declared the emergency and runs the national response
Implements NACP under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Clean-needle distribution needs legal cover in Fiji, so the amendments are going to Parliament
Bans discrimination against people living with HIV in jobs, health care and education, and requires informed consent for testing. It is India's counterpart to Fiji's anti-stigma stance
| Indicator | Fiji | India |
|---|---|---|
| People living with HIV | ≈ 9,100 (2025) | ≈ 2.4 million (2021 estimate, 2nd-largest epidemic in the world) |
| Adult prevalence | ≈ 1 in 60 adults | 0.21% (2021); highest in Mizoram at 2.70% |
| Aware of status | 39% | 78% (2020-21) |
| Official response | National emergency (Sept 2026) | NACP Phase V (2021-26) |
GS Paper 2 > Health; International Institutions (UNAIDS)
General Awareness > Current Affairs (International)
Which indian political leader addressed a special session in 2025 on "Environment, COP-30, and Global Health"?
Answer: Narendra Modi
UNAIDS goal for 2025: 95% of people with HIV diagnosed, 95% of them on ART, and 95% of those virally suppressed
Pre-exposure prophylaxis: HIV-negative people take antiretroviral drugs to prevent infection. Lenacapavir is a twice-yearly injectable form (US FDA approval, June 2025)
Public-health measures, such as needle and syringe programmes, that reduce harm from drug use without first requiring people to stop using