Kadavu women urge action on rising HIV cases
Concerns raised as national figures show HIV diagnoses rose by 27 per cent in 2025.
Thursday 30 July 2026 | 13:00
Kadavu Women's representative Salote Nawalowalo at the Kadavu Provincial Council meeting in Suva on July 30, 2026.
Photo: Ronald Kumar
Women in Kadavu have voiced concern over the rise in HIV cases, warning that increasing infections are becoming a serious issue for communities across the island.
Speaking during the Kadavu Provincial Council meeting in Suva yesterday, Kadavu women's representative Salote Nawalowalo said the rise in HIV cases was worrying and called for urgent action to protect families and young people.
She said women across the province were increasingly concerned as HIV cases continued to emerge in island communities.
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Greater awareness, education and community support were needed to help prevent the spread of the virus and encourage people to seek testing and treatment without fear of stigma, she said.
Ms Nawalowalo urged community leaders, churches, health officials and families to work together to address the issue before it worsened.
She said protecting young people through education and open discussions about HIV was critical to reducing new infections and safeguarding the future of Kadavu communities.
Her comments come as Fiji continues to experience a sharp increase in HIV cases nationwide.
According to the Ministry of Health's 2025 National HIV Statistics Summary Report, Fiji recorded 2,016 new HIV diagnoses in 2025, a 27 per cent increase from 2024.
The report said the cumulative number of reported HIV cases since 1989 had reached 5,676, while 117 HIV-related deaths were recorded in 2025. Many of the new infections were among people aged 15 to 34.
The issue was raised during discussions on key social and health challenges affecting Kadavu at the provincial council meeting.
