There are fears that small Pacific nations face an African-style AIDS epidemic.
Health ministers from around the Pacific are in Auckland this week trying to find a way to educate their people about the dangers of unprotected sex.
A dire shortage of contraception is also a major concern.
Of the 8.5 million Pacific peoples, 5,000 are infected with HIV and AIDS.
While that is not even 1% of the region, new infections are up 80% since the mid-nineties.
Until now, Pacific health ministers admit they have been slow to combat the spread and what they want to do now, is get some guidance from New Zealand officials.
Health Minister Annette King says, "I have been to a UN special assembly where we had countries who'd say, we don't have prostitutes, we don't have sex before marriage, we don't have HIV AIDS. That kind of head in the sand approach will doom their people to a lot of death and disease. So it's being honest about the issue."
Unprotected sex in young people is the major worry, with condoms costly and hard to come by, in out-lying islands.
Fiji Health Minister, Solomoni Naival says, "We have fairly good coverage of our hospitals in the main centres but sometimes it is the question of availability of small boats, aeroplanes and ships that could reach these remote islands."
New Zealand already helps fund reproductive health programmes in the Pacific. But thanks to a drop in American aid, Pacific countries may ask their bigger neighbours to help find the $6 million they need each year for things like condoms, pills, and diagnostic kits.
Once they work out where the priorities are, the Commonhealth health ministers will come together in May in Geneva and discuss what is appropriate for New Zealand to give.
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