Fiji HIV epidemic prompts calls for New Zealand to expand regional health response

Public health researchers are calling on New Zealand to expand its response to Fiji’s rapidly escalating HIV epidemic, warning that the crisis poses a regional health security threat due to close migration, travel, and family links between the two nations.

Fiji is currently experiencing one of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics globally. Researchers report a 14-fold increase in infections over the last five years, with adult HIV prevalence estimated at approximately 1.6 percent. In 2025, Fiji recorded 2,016 diagnoses, marking a 27 percent increase from 2024. The crisis is particularly acute among pregnant women, where prevalence is estimated at 2 percent; this results in approximately one child being born with HIV every week and one death from HIV-related illness every month.

Dr. Sharon McLennan of Victoria University of Wellington notes that while New Zealand has made progress through its National HIV Action Plan, the current response focuses heavily on monitoring and communication. Experts argue that New Zealand must increase support for prevention and services to prevent the Fijian epidemic from spreading across the wider Pacific region.