Fiji declares HIV a national crisis as diagnoses surge

Fifty-nine babies were born with HIV last year, and 18 ​died before their first birthday, it also said.Authorities said expanded ⁠testing had helped uncover infections, enabling earlier treatment.

Fiji now plans to ​widen access to free, voluntary and confidential testing, prevention medicines, as well as ​harm-reduction services for injecting drug users and treatment.Read: SHC orders high-level probe into HIV spread among children at Karachi hospitalFiji, a country of around 900,000 people, is experiencing one of the world's sharpest rises in new infections, according to UNAIDS.

It estimates ​that 9,100 Fijians were living with HIV last year and that only ​39% knew their status, and that 22% were receiving antiretroviral treatment."Fiji has recognised the urgency ‌of ⁠the moment and is stepping up its response," UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said.

"It is also a stark reminder to the world that AIDS is not over."Among cases with a known transmission route, more than half were linked ​to sexual transmission ​and over 42% ⁠to injecting drug use, UNAIDS said.

The agency welcomed government plans for a needle-and-syringe programme and expanded access to ​pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), medicine used to lower the risk of contracting ​HIV.The ⁠government has set up a five-minister Cabinet subcommittee to remove barriers to action.

It said discrimination against people living with HIV is illegal and services are available ⁠nationwide.Fiji's ​estimate of one in 60 adults living with ​HIV remains below parts of Africa, where nearly 1 in 35 adults are living with HIV, ​according to the World Health Organisation. This material may not be….

Fiji declares HIV a national crisis as diagnoses surge Updated 13 minutes ago Fifty-nine babies were born with HIV last year, and 18 ​died before their first birthday, the government said.