Groups question Pacific leaders' silence on HIV

Pacific civil society groups have called out the Pacific leaders' silence on HIV in the region, questioning why the issue is not part of the Forum agenda in Palau.

Pacific leaders are currently meeting for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, where today's plenary discussion focused on pressing issues and challenges affecting the region.

In their statement to the leaders yesterday, the Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations Alliance (PRNGO) said the Forum's health agenda addresses non-communicable diseases and school health, but is silent on HIV.

"UNAIDS has been explicit that rising infections in Fiji place the whole region at risk."

HIV in adults is now approximately 1.6 per cent, roughly one adult in sixty.

The number of people living with HIV rose from around 2000 in 2020 to approximately 6100 in 2024. Nearly half of new treatment initiations in 2024 were among people who inject drugs.

Pacific Sexual and Gender Diversity Network programme manager Maria Nailevu said it was unfortunate that Pacific leaders once again appear to see HIV as a non-priority issue for the region.

"Including HIV decisively on the Pacific leaders' health agenda is essential because infectious diseases do not respect national borders, and no single island nation has the scale to fight this epidemic in isolation," Ms Nailevu said.

"Protecting the health and futures of our people requires coordinated regional surveillance, shared technical resources, and the political will to dismantle stigma and fund community-led responses before these rising trajectories compromise our entire Pacific development agenda."