India has dispatched a consignment of Anti-Retro Viral (ARV) drugs to Fiji to support the island nation’s public health programme and reinforce its commitment to the Global South.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared the update on X, posting, “Strengthening health partnership with the Global South. A consignment of Anti-Retro Viral (ARV) drugs has been dispatched to Fiji to support its health program.”
Jaiswal added that India remains committed to assisting Fiji in its public health response and humanitarian efforts.
Images of the shipment show boxes marked with the flags of both nations and the message, “Gift from the people and government of India.” This latest medical aid follows a series of recent collaborations between India and Fiji in areas such as health, education, mobility, and development cooperation.
National Federation Party leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Prof. Biman Prasad thanked the Government of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Indian High Commission in Suva for providing critical health support to Fiji.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently raised concerns over a surge in HIV cases across the Western Pacific, including Fiji, where infections have increased tenfold over the past decade. WHO Regional Director Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala warned that the epidemic poses a growing threat to national and regional security.
Earlier this year, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation across multiple sectors, including healthcare. PM Modi announced plans to build a 100-bed super-speciality hospital in Suva, establish dialysis units and sea ambulances, and open Jan Aushadhi Kendras (People’s Pharmacies) in Fiji to provide affordable medicines.
India also recently signed an MoU on the Recognition of Indian Pharmacopoeia, aimed at strengthening pharmaceutical collaboration and improving access to quality healthcare in Fiji.
This latest consignment continues India’s long-standing medical support to Fiji, which includes the supply of ARV drugs in the past and the donation of 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic.
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