Significant progress has been made in the fight against HIV, with new infections and deaths decreasing globally, health experts reported ahead of World AIDS Day on Sunday. However, the disease remains far from eradication, with disparities in progress across regions and challenges in access to treatment. A study published in The Lancet HIV highlights a 20% decline in global HIV infections during the 2010s, with HIV-related deaths—primarily caused by secondary diseases during late-stage AIDS—falling by 40% to under one million annually. The decline was largely driven by improvements in sub-Saharan Africa, the region most affected by the epidemic.
While the global trend is encouraging, infections rose in regions such as Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The world also remains off track to meet the United Nations’ goal of ending AIDS-related deaths by 2030. “Remarkable progress has been made to reduce new HIV infections globally,” said Dr. Hmwe Kyu from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. “However, more than a million people acquire new infections each year, and a quarter of the 40 million people living with HIV are not receiving treatment.”
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily pill that reduces the risk of contracting HIV from sexual activity by 99%, has emerged as a key preventive tool. Countries like France are expanding access to PrEP beyond high-risk groups such as men who have sex with men, aiming to make it available to anyone at risk. For those already infected, antiretroviral therapy can suppress the virus to undetectable levels, drastically reducing transmission risks. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an undetectable viral load reduces the likelihood of HIV transmission from mothers to their babies to less than 1%.
As reported by economictimes, a new drug, lenacapavir, offers promise in HIV prevention and treatment. Early trials show the antiretroviral injection is 100% effective in preventing HIV infection and requires administration only twice a year, making it more manageable than daily pills. However, affordability remains a concern. Gilead Sciences, the drug’s manufacturer, charges $40,000 per person annually in some countries, though the drug could be produced for as little as $40, researchers estimate. To address accessibility, Gilead recently signed licensing agreements with six generic drugmakers to supply lenacapavir in low-income countries. Still, millions in middle-income nations are excluded from these deals, raising concerns about equitable access.
Despite decades of research, an HIV vaccine has yet to be developed. However, lenacapavir’s twice-yearly injection is seen by some researchers as a breakthrough comparable to a vaccine.
While a few patients have been cured of HIV following complex stem cell transplants for leukemia, this approach is not feasible for most of the 40 million people living with HIV worldwide. World AIDS Day serves as a reminder of both the progress made and the challenges that remain in the global fight against HIV. Efforts to expand access to innovative treatments and preventive tools will be critical to continuing this momentum.