• SI records dramatic rise in new HIV cases as Minister warns of growing threat

The Ministry of Health has raised a serious national alert after confirming a sharp and unprecedented spike in HIV cases across the country, marking the most significant jump in infections since early 1980s.

Speaking during World AIDS Day commemorations in Honiara yesterday, Minister of Health Dr Paul Bosawai revealed that the country has moved from detecting just one to two cases per year in previous years to eight new cases last year, and now a staggering 34 new cases in 2025 alone.

The surge brings Solomon Islands’ total number of HIV-positive to 79, with 27 deaths already recorded from advanced HIV disease.

“This is a worrying trend,” the Minister said. “The rise in new infections shows the virus is spreading faster than before. We must act now.”

Minister Bosawai said 25 of the 34 new cases recorded this year are men, with nine women also testing positive.

He said while the majority are currently on treatment, three individuals remain untreated, prompting the Minister to issue a direct and urgent plea for them to come forward.

“You are not helping yourself or your loved ones by hiding,” he said. “When you start treatment, your viral load drops, and you can live a long life. If you are listening today, please come to our health facilities.”

The Minister also linked the rise in cases to broader regional patterns, citing HIV outbreaks in Fiji declared last year and partly driven by intravenous drug use and the 11,000 cases reported in Papua New Guinea.

He said frequent travel between Solomon Islands and neighbouring Melanesian countries increases the risk of cross-border transmission.

The Minister also raised concerns over the growing threat of methamphetamine (“ice”) and other illicit drugs, which globally have contributed to rising HIV infections through high-risk behaviour and unsafe practices.

Beyond the numbers, the Minister used his address to condemn stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV, sharing his own experience as a medical trainee caring for an HIV patient.

He said that experience showed him the humanity behind the illness.

“They are Solomon Islanders like us,” he said. “Churches, communities, families – please do not push them away.”

Minister Bosawai said the Government, through the ministry supported by DFAT, WHO and SIPPA, is now working to update national HIV policies and strengthen testing, treatment and prevention services, including efforts to decentralise HIV services to provincial clinics and improve mother-to-child transmission prevention programs.

However, the Minister warned that the global funding crisis threatens to undermine progress unless partners continue to support the national HIV response.

“We cannot rely on domestic financing alone. We need sustained political leadership, international cooperation and a human right–centred approach,” he said.

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