UN Summit on HIV/AIDS Shows Incredible Progress in Infection Rates, Deaths, Treatment Access
A new UNAIDS report indicates that HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have reached their lowest levels in over 30 years. Several countries have met ambitious treatment targets, and new long-acting prevention medicines are showing significant promise in clinical trials.
Why it matters
The progress in HIV prevention and treatment represents a major global health milestone, suggesting that ending the AIDS epidemic is increasingly feasible through international cooperation and medical innovation.
New HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are at their lowest levels in more than 30 years, a special report released by UNAIDS shows.
Released in time for the 26th International AIDS Conference taking place in Rio de Janeiro, it also showed that 7 countries: Benin, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Nepal, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe, achieved an almost 80% reduction in new infections since 2010.
It further showed that 11 countries achieved the “95-95-95” treatment targets, meaning that 95% of all people living with HIV know their status, 95% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection are accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART), 95% of all people accessing ART are virally suppressed.
“The world is on the cusp of an HIV prevention revolution in prevention medicines which offer close to vaccine like protection against HIV,” UNAIDS wrote in a statement .
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