Fiji

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to challenge the health system of Fiji with increasing numbers of newly diagnosed HIV cases lost to follow up and limited community-based programming. Despite these challenges, access to HIV and sexual and reproductive health services in Fiji was improved and donor resources were successfully mobilized for the national HIV response.

Fiji and seven other countries—Federal State of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon, Tonga, and Vanuatu – revised their midwifery curriculum and developed guidelines for family planning and youth friendly sexual and reproductive health and HIV services (UNFPA). These countries also upgraded selected facilities to scale up integrated HIV, sexual and reproductive health, and family planning services for women and young people.

Comprehensive sexuality education was implemented in all countries through systematic engagement of communities affected by HIV and open dialogues on sensitive issues, such as bodily autonomy, and gender equality. In five countries, effective national multi-stakeholder committees played a critical role in strengthening community engagement, designing school comprehensive sexuality education curriculums, and advocacy. Uptake and utilization of HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health services – targeting women, young people, persons with disabilities and people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression – were also improved through means of behaviour change communication and demand generation initiatives using in and out-of-school comprehensive sexuality education and mass media (UNFPA).