Need to bridge gap, says Ram

The Fijian Ministry of Health urgently needs to address the significant gap between individuals diagnosed with HIV and those receiving treatment. Renata Ram, UNAIDS Pacific Regional and Fiji Country Director, pointed out on this week's "The Lens @177" program that Health Minister Dr. Antonio Lalabalavu highlighted, when announcing the HIV outbreak, that only 35% of positive patients are receiving treatment. This underscores the critical need for improved access and adherence to HIV care in Fiji.

Ms. Ram stated that the Ministry of Health needs to address the large number of lost-to-follow-up cases. She emphasized that the current 35% treatment rate is not due to a lack of access to treatment, but rather insufficient follow-up care. Currently, there is an adequate supply of HIV treatment medications in Fiji, which is a positive step towards addressing the outbreak.

She mentioned previous reports of drug shortages, but believes this is related to the excessive number of new infections. Data shows 245 new infections in 2022, 415 in 2023, and 1093 cases registered in the system as of last September. Insufficient quantification of drug demand led to inadequate drug reserves, which were unable to meet the needs of a growing patient population, highlighting the importance of accurate forecasting.

Currently, Fiji is strengthening its quantification assessments to ensure an adequate supply of HIV treatment medications. However, regarding that 35% treatment rate, many people are lost to contact during the process of establishing a connection with medical institutions. On average, it takes patients 22 days to receive their HIV test results, during which time many patients are lost to follow-up, representing a significant delay in accessing necessary care.

Furthermore, Ms. Ram also pointed out that incomplete patient information records, or inaccurate contact information and home addresses provided by patients, are obstacles to patients receiving timely test results. She stated that efforts are currently underway to address these issues in order to bridge these gaps, which will improve patient retention and overall treatment success.