SUVA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has called for collective effort to tackle Fiji's growing HIV epidemic, as Fiji is one of top two countries in the Asia-Pacific region with rapidly rising new HIV infections, after the Philippines.
The UNAIDS estimated that between 2010 and 2022, new infections in Fiji increased 260 percent, with 2,000 people living with HIV in the country in 2022, the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation reported on Wednesday.
It said Fiji needs rapid action to strengthen national HIV surveillance system and have a more accurate picture of the epidemic's dynamics.
The UNAIDS called for a comprehensive response that addresses the needs of all vulnerable people, including children, young people, women of childbearing age, and key populations.
According to Fiji's Health Ministry, the country recorded an alarming 415 new HIV cases in 2023 compared to 245 cases in 2022.
The ministry said unsafe sexual practices and use of injectable drugs are contributing to the rise of HIV cases in Fiji. ■
