Tourists also infected The Fiji Islands are fighting the HIV outbreak

An official HIV outbreak has been reported in Fiji. Last year, the number of infections tripled. Tourists are also said to have been infected.

The vacation paradise of Fiji is a true vacation dream for many tourists: palm trees, beaches and blue skies. But now the island nation has to deal with an old threat - HIV.

As reported by"t-online", an official HIV outbreak was reported at the end of January. Even more alarming are the figures from January 2024 to September 2024, during which time there were 1093 new cases, three times as many as in 2023.

Even tourists are already infected

This rapid increase not only endangers the Fiji Islands, but the entire Pacific region, explains UN expert Eamonn Murphy. As a center for education and business, the region attracts students and job seekers. Tourists are also said to have been infected with HIV. The virus could spread quickly as a result.

For Sharon McLennon, a health expert at the University of Wellington, drugs are the biggest problem: "The island state is an important hub for drug trafficking to Australia and New Zealand." Even children consume drugs, they prostitute themselves or beg. Half of the newly diagnosed people are said to have contracted HIV through drug injections.

To prevent the virus from spreading further, condoms are now being distributed and the UN is supplying a large number of medicines to Fiji. The vacation paradise takes up the fight.