Dr Sahukhan moves to tackle barriers in HIV response
The ministry recorded 2,016 new HIV diagnoses last year and declared a national HIV emergency in September.
Tuesday 27 October 2026 | 07:00
New Ministry of Health permanent secretary Dr Aalisha Sahukhan says, her first job on HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is to clear roadblocks for the ministry’s sexual and reproductive health and HIV unit.
She will be briefed on the needle and syringe programme in the coming weeks.
Dr Sahukhan spoke to the media yesterday, her first day in the office.
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She said HIV was “not a new disease” and the world already knew what worked.
“There is about 40 years or more than 40 years of international experience and evidence about what works and what does not work,” she said.
She said her role was to meet the HIV team and hear their concerns.
“My job as the Permanent Secretary is really to meet with them, to let them talk about what they’re doing,” Dr Sahukhan said.
The ministry recorded 2016 new HIV diagnoses last year. Health Minister Dr Atonio Lalabalavu declared a national HIV emergency in September.
On the needle and syringe programme, Dr Sahukhan said the HIV unit would brief her first, and an update would follow.
“I will be getting briefed from the HIV unit in the coming weeks, and we will be able to provide an update once that is done,” she said.
On the 100-bed super-speciality hospital, she said briefings were under way, and it would be “one of the priorities going forward”.
Asked if HIV had become a political talking point before the general election, she said no.
“The more people who are talking about this issue, the more awareness that goes out and it is very much a bipartisan issue,” she said.
Dr Sahukhan, a former Head of Health Protection who led the Fiji Centre for Disease Control, will spend this week with headquarters and Central Division teams.
Western and Northern division visits will follow.
