Meth is a key driver in Fiji's fast-growing HIV epidemic: 1 in 60 adults are affected
Fiji is facing a dual crisis of a rapidly growing HIV epidemic and widespread crystal meth addiction, leading the government to declare a national emergency. Health experts link the rise in HIV cases among young people to the sharing of needles during meth use.
Why it matters
The intersection of drug abuse and public health crises in small island nations highlights the need for targeted international health interventions.
Best known as a tropical paradise and honeymoon destination, the island nation of Fiji now has the unfortunate distinction of facing two intertwined epidemics: HIV and addiction to crystal meth.
With HIV cases rising by 12-fold between 2010 and 2025, in mid-September, Fiji's government declared a national emergency. Estimates are that there are upward of 9,000 cases; the country's health minister has announced that 1 in 60 adults are now living with HIV.
At the July AIDS 2026 conference in Rio, Jason Mitchell, a public health specialist leading Fiji's HIV response, described it as the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in the world, noting that two-thirds of cases are in those ages 20-34. "Our young, active, productive population is currently being infected with HIV, and unless we find solutions quickly, this will continue to get worse," he says.
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