Author: Sharon McLennan, Senior Research and Teaching Fellow, School of Health, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

In the words of UNAIDS Asia Pacific Regional Director Eamonn Murphy, rising HIV infections in Fiji “put the entire Pacific region at risk”. Fiji’s minister of health declared an official HIV outbreak in January, citing 1,093 new cases from January to September 2024 – triple the number from the same period in 2023. The World Health Organization defines a disease outbreak based on the number of cases being in excess of normal expectations. Similar to an epidemic, an outbreak typically refers to a more limited geographic area. Declaring an outbreak enables prompt public health response measures and mobilises domestic and…