Iran: The Latest Drugs, HIV and gangs: the Pacific island paradise hit by a triple epidemic
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Feb 25, 2026 Dr Jason Mitchell, head of Fiji’s HIV task force leading the national response. Sarah Newey, Telegraph reporter who investigated Fiji’s meth trade. They discuss how organised crime funnels meth into communities. They describe visible street markets, risky injecting practices driving rapid HIV spread, stigma blocking care, and the urgent harm-reduction steps being planned.
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Dangerous Local Injection Practices Driving HIV
- Unsafe injection practices fuel rapid HIV spread: people use blood to dilute meth, share blood, and reuse needles.
- Lack of syringe access (pharmacies restricted) and poor harm-reduction infrastructure magnified bloodborne transmission.
Dealer Simon Shows Professionalised Local Market
- Sarah profiled 'Simon', a reggae musician-turned-dealer who sold drugs to feed his children and described a professionalised local market.
- He listed prices, used wholesale distribution, and employed two shifts, showing the trade's organisation and profitability.
Late HIV Diagnosis Is Common And Deadly
- Many Fijians only learn of HIV when it's terminal: over half who died of AIDS in 2024 discovered their status that year.
- Low awareness persists; some believe HIV is incurable so see no point in testing, worsening late diagnoses.