There have been 490 new HIV cases from October – December last year bringing the total number of HIV cases in Fiji for last year to 1,583.
The statistics were revealed by the Minister for Health, Dr Atonio Rabici Lalabalavu as he opened the Development Partner Roundtable on Fiji’s HIV Response Thursday in Suva.
“Included in this number are 32 newborns diagnosed with HIV acquired through mother-to-child transmission,” Dr Lalabalavu said.
He added the new HIV cases were reported across all divisions of Fiji, with the Central Division reporting the highest number of 1100 new cases (69.49 per cent), followed by the Western Division with 427 (26.97 per cent), the North with 50 cases (3.16 per cent), and the Eastern Division with six cases (0.38 per cent).
The new cases of HIV are reported in all age groups, and the 20 – 29 years age groups reported the highest number with 815 (51 percent).
The male gender accounted for 70 per cent of cases (1111) of the new HIV cases, while 90.3 percent or 1430 new cases were among iTaukei population, 133 cases among Fijian of Indian Descent (8.4 per cent) and 20 from other ethnic backgrounds (1.3 per cent).