SUVA, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) — Fiji is grappling with a rise in HIV cases, but is experiencing a shortage of viral load and infant diagnostic test kits.
The country’s Assistant Health Minister Penioni Ravunawa said Fiji must be strategic now in how testing was conducted, according to Fiji Times on Sunday.
“There is a tendency in Fiji to offer HIV testing to everyone and anyone, but this is not sustainable in a resource-limited setting,” Ravunawa said.
He added that some outreach programs were reporting zero percent positivity, which indicates that testing may not be targeting the right groups.
The shortage of test kits affects not only routine monitoring but also the early diagnosis in newborns, Ravunawa said, adding that the ministry is actively working with partners and suppliers to resolve the shortage. ■