Teen HIV cases surge 45-fold

Fiji is facing a dramatic and deeply concerning spike in HIV cases among adolescents, with diagnoses in the 10–19 age group increasing more than 45 times in just three years.

Dr Darshika Balak, Medical Officer in Charge at the Sexual Reproductive Hub in Suva, revealed the alarming trend at the recent Fiji Medical Association Conference in Suva.

She highlighted that the number of adolescents diagnosed with HIV jumped from just six cases in 2022 to over 100 in the first nine months of 2024.

“This is a very confused world for most of them, they are not adults and they are not really kids anymore,” said Dr Balak, referring to the transitional and often vulnerable adolescent stage.

“So, if I take you back to 2022, we had only diagnosed six adolescences. 2023, we had diagnosed only 33 adolescences. And then last year, just in the first nine months, we have diagnosed over 100 adolescences.

“So, there’s actually a 45 fold increase in the number of adolescence diagnosed with HIV in the past three years and majority of these are acquired through injectable drug use.”

Data from patients who have entered care shows that nearly 50 per cent of the adolescent HIV cases were contracted through shared needles and syringes.

“This new model of transmission through injectable drug use must not overshadow the ongoing risks of sexual transmission,” Dr Balak emphasised.

“There is also a concerning overlap, with drug users contributing to the spread of HIV through sexual contact as well.”

Dr Balak also noted that until recently, most HIV cases in Fiji were among adults aged 28 to 29—an expected pattern reflecting the reproductive age group.

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