Fiji Health Ministry Warns Public Against False Claims of Herbal HIV Cure

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has warned Fijians against false claims circulating on social media that HIV can be cured using herbal medicine.

The warning was issued jointly with Fiji Network Plus (FJN+) following the circulation of a video claiming that an individual had been cured of HIV through herbal treatment, allegedly with confirmation from a health worker.

The Ministry said there is no proven herbal, traditional, food or spiritual remedy that can cure HIV.

Health authorities are urging people living with HIV to continue taking their prescribed antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is available free at Government health facilities.

ART works by suppressing the HIV virus and protecting the immune system. When taken consistently, it allows people living with HIV to maintain their health and live long, productive lives.

The Ministry also highlighted the Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) principle. People who take ART consistently and maintain an undetectable viral load cannot sexually transmit HIV to their partners.

However, the Ministry stressed that an undetectable viral load does not mean HIV has been cured. The virus remains in the body and can return if treatment is stopped.

Authorities have also warned against herbal products marketed as HIV cures, saying such products have not been proven safe or effective and may interfere with HIV treatment or cause other health problems.

The Ministry said there was no record of any Government health facility or clinician confirming that a person had been cured of HIV or advising them to stop ART.

The public has also been urged not to share the video or identify, shame or harass the person featured in it.

FJN+ said HIV treatment has enabled many people living with HIV in Fiji to remain healthy and achieve undetectable viral loads, encouraging anyone who has stopped treatment to seek medical assistance without fear of judgement.