Burnett Foundation Aotearoa has expressed solidarity with Fiji as the country responds to a significant rise in HIV cases, putting prevention and treatment back at the centre of a public health problem that should be manageable. The organisation said HIV is preventable and treatable, and that the response should be built on science, community leadership and care that people can actually use.
The statement is being read now because the rise in Fiji has turned a long-known health issue into an immediate one. In that setting, the group said the strongest responses are the ones that combine widespread access to testing, the latest treatments, prevention services, harm reduction programmes such as needle exchanges, and stigma-free healthcare. For health professionals watching the region, the message is straightforward: the tools exist, but they only work when people can reach them without fear or delay.
Liz Gibb said the HIV response is strongest when it is informed by evidence and led in partnership with communities. She said investing in prevention, reducing stigma, expanding access to testing and treatment, and supporting community-led responses saves lives and reduces transmission. Burnett Foundation Aotearoa also said it remains committed to an Aotearoa with zero new HIV transmissions and sees regional cooperation as part of that effort across the Pacific.
That is why the call in the statement goes beyond sympathy. Burnett Foundation Aotearoa urged the New Zealand government, international health agencies, community organisations and development partners across the Pacific to support Fiji’s response, with decisions guided by the best available public health evidence. The gap is hard to ignore: HIV can be prevented and treated, yet Fiji is still facing a significant rise in cases, which means the next phase will be judged not by promises but by whether support translates into testing, treatment, prevention and stigma-free services on the ground.
