‘Strengthening Health Partnership With Global South’: India Sends Drugs To Fiji Amid HIV Crisis

New Delhi: The Central Government has dispatched a consignment of Anti-Retroviral (ARV) drugs for HIV patients in Fiji.

Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, shared the information on X, saying, "Strengthening health partnership with the Global South. A consignment of Anti-Retro Viral (ARV) drugs has been dispatched to Fiji to support its health program." He added, “India remains committed to supporting Fiji in its public health response and humanitarian needs.” He also shared images of the consignment, which bore the picture of the flag of India with a text reading, “Gift from the people and government of India.”

In August, India and Fiji signed several agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs), covering health, education, mobility and development cooperation.

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised an alarm over the increasing number of HIV cases in the Western Pacific region, including the Philippines, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. It also cited threat to national and regional security.

As per the WHO, cases of the infection have increased tenfold over the past decade in Fiji, which saw a huge spike in 2024.

WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, Dr Saia Ma'u Piukala, said, "HIV is not 'over' as the situation across the Western Pacific clearly shows."

Earlier, Fiji Prime Minster Sitiveni Rabuka acknowledged India for its continued assistance in the country's development. India, in the past, has also sent ARV drugs to Fiji. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of India had sent 1,00,000 vaccines to Fiji.

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