$2.5M HIV drug donation from India strengthens treatment access for Fijians

Fiji’s fight against HIV and AIDS has received a major boost with the handover of life saving anti retroviral drugs valued at around $2.5 million from the Government of India. Minister for Health, Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu says the donation comes at a crucial time, supporting the HIV Unit’s plan to expand treatment and prevention efforts as Fiji strengthens its national response to HIV. He says that as testing and screening increase, more cases are likely to be detected, making it essential for treatment services to expand in parallel. He also acknowledged the ongoing discussions between the Ministry of Health and the Indian High Commission regarding the 100-bed super-speciality hospital project, saying that the tender process is about to be completed and that construction will commence soon. He adds that Fiji is grateful to the Government of India for its continued support. Indian High Commissioner to Fiji, Suneet Mehta says the handover marks another milestone in the growing health cooperation between the two nations. He explained the consignment, which contains around three tonnes of ARV drugs, is a tangible outcome of the agreement reached during Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s visit to India in August last year. He says this shipment represents the largest consignment of HIV drugs India has donated to Fiji to date. Mehta reaffirmed India’s continued support for Fiji’s healthcare development, adding that the upcoming hospital project will further strengthen the relationship and benefit the people of Fiji.