Global HIV Infections and Deaths Reach Historic Lows, UNAIDS Warns Progress Too Slow

UNAIDS highlights barriers like discrimination and limited access to treatment as obstacles to meeting the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.

New HIV infections in 2023 fell to their lowest level since the late 1980s, with 1.3 million cases reported, but this figure remains three times higher than the target needed to end AIDS by 2030.
Deaths related to AIDS dropped to 630,000 in 2023, the lowest since their peak in 2004, largely due to the success of antiretroviral therapies.
Discriminatory laws, such as anti-LGBTQ legislation in countries like Uganda, hinder access to prevention and treatment, contributing to rising infection rates in 28 countries.
Preventative treatments like Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) remain underutilized globally, with only 15% of those in need receiving it in 2023, according to UNAIDS.
A new drug, lenacapavir, shows promise with 100% effectiveness in trials, but its high cost and limited availability raise concerns about equitable access in lower-income regions.