Older adults with HIV set to outnumber younger patients by 2040: Lancet
A new Lancet report warns that the number of people aged 50 and older living with HIV is expected to nearly double by 2040. Health systems are currently ill-equipped to handle the unique intersection of HIV management and age-related chronic conditions.
Why it matters
As HIV patients live longer, global healthcare systems must pivot from acute infection control to managing complex, long-term geriatric health needs.
The proportion of older adults living with HIV is expected to surge in the next 15 years, raising new challenges for health systems that are not prepared for their specific needs, a report from The Lancet warns.
More than 95% of these people will be living in low and middle-income countries.
According to the report, presented at the 26th International Aids Conference in Rio de Janeiro this week, the global number of people living with HIV who are 50 or older is expected to almost double in 2025-40, rising from 11.5-million to 20.2-million, by which stage they will represent more than half the people living with HIV.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in