SUVA, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Fiji has recorded 725 confirmed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases to date, the government-owned Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) reported Thursday.
While marking World AIDS Day, Fijian Minister for Health and Medical Services Rosy Akbar said the 725 confirmed HIV cases are a cumulative total since the first case was diagnosed in 1989 in the Pacific island country, which has an average of around 20 new HIV cases per year.
World AIDS Day not only provides the opportunity to look back at Fiji's HIV journey but also serve as an important reminder that the epidemic is still here and that more must be done to increase awareness and to eliminate prejudice, said Akbar.
World AIDS Day is marked on Dec. 1 each year since 1988 to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. It is also an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died of the disease.
