Global Shift in HIV Infections: UN Report Highlights New Challenges

New HIV infections have shifted outside sub-Saharan Africa. UNAids reports a 56% drop in Africa since 2010. Global infections are down 39%.

Infections are rising in eastern Europe, central Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and North Africa. Winnie Byanyima, UNAids director, warns of a human rights backlash. Funding cuts and debt hinder care.

New drugs, taken every few months, could be exclusive to richer nations. The UN's goal to end AIDS by 2030 is lagging. 39.9 million people live with HIV globally. There were 1.3 million new infections and 630,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2023.

Dr. Sharon Lewin, International AIDS Society president, highlights successes in poor regions but notes challenges outside Africa. Infections are concentrated in marginalized groups facing discrimination.

Byanyima stresses the need for decriminalization and fighting stigma. Young women in sub-Saharan Africa remain vulnerable. Only 50% of HIV-positive individuals in eastern Europe, central Asia, and the Middle East take antiretroviral drugs.

Sub-Saharan Africa lacks treatment for nearly half its HIV-positive population, especially children. Byanyima urges immediate global sharing of long-acting drugs and debt restructuring to boost health spending.