More babies than ever born with HIV in Fiji's largest hospital
Fiji is experiencing a severe HIV epidemic, with a record number of babies born with the virus at the country's largest hospital in 2025. Despite the availability of free testing and treatment, the vertical transmission rate has reached 18 percent.
Why it matters
The rising transmission rate indicates a critical failure in public health outreach and maternal care, signaling a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Pacific region.
Fiji is in the middle of an worsening HIV epidemic and its infection rate is now among the fastest growing anywhere in the world.
Amid the crisis, more mothers are passing the virus on to their babies than ever before, despite the availability of free testing and free treatment.
Dr Priya Kaur, who leads Fiji's work on eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, says 59 babies were born with HIV at Fiji's largest hospital in 2025
"That's the highest number ever we've had in a year," she said. "These were born to about 332 women. That puts a vertical transmission rate [at] 18 per cent."
Colonial War Memorial Hospital is Fiji's largest hospital. ( Australian High Commission Fiji )
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