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🇫🇯 Fiji /Health & Science

People living with HIV must have a greater say

From FBC News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • People living with HIV and key populations must be directly involved in shaping Fiji's HIV response, according to Fiji Network Plus Executive Director Joeli Colati.
  • Community-led organizations are crucial as they often reach individuals whom the formal health system struggles to connect with.
  • Colati emphasizes that these communities should not just be invited to the table but must actively participate in designing, leading, and evaluating the response to HIV.

Community-led organizations are essential to Fiji's HIV response, with leaders urging greater involvement from people living with HIV and key populations in shaping the nation's strategy. Joeli Colati, Executive Director of Fiji Network Plus, stressed at the Pacific HIV Symposium 2026 in Nadi that the lived experiences of these communities are vital for understanding and overcoming barriers to care.

Colati highlighted that community-based organizations possess unique insights and reach. "They know what the barrier people face, and very often they reach people that our formal health system may struggle to reach," he stated. This direct connection makes community-led responses not merely an supplementary component but a fundamental necessity in tackling HIV effectively.

They know what the barrier people face, and very often they reach people that our formal health system may struggle to reach. That is why community-led responses are not an extra part of the HIV response. They are essential

— Joeli ColatiSpeaking at the Pacific HIV Symposium 2026 in Nadi, highlighting the importance of community-led organizations in reaching vulnerable populations.

He asserted that a collaborative approach is indispensable, involving government, health services, civil society, and communities working together. People living with HIV possess firsthand knowledge of the challenges associated with diagnosis, the pervasive impact of stigma and discrimination, and the critical need for confidentiality. "Let us ensure that people living with HIV and key populations are not simply invited to the table. We must be part of designing, leading, and evaluating the response," Colati urged.

The ultimate goal, as articulated by Colati, is to foster a Pacific region where every individual can access HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support with dignity and without fear. This vision necessitates increased investment in community-based services that are geographically and culturally accessible to the people they serve.

Let us ensure that people living with HIV and key populations are not simply invited to the table. We must be part of designing, leading, and evaluating the response

— Joeli ColatiEmphasizing the need for direct participation of people living with HIV in shaping the nation's HIV strategy.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by FBC News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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