Despite major progress in reducing HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, new data highlight persistent gaps in treatment access, prevention, and pediatric care. / Credit: Shutterstock
More than four decades after AIDS1 was first identified in 1981, both HIV2 and AIDS remain a significant challenge for global public health. Despite major progress in prevention and treatment, the numbers highlight the ongoing burden:
Over 1 million new HIV infections occur each year worldwide.
Nearly 10 million people living with HIV still lack access to effective treatment.
Global efforts have reduced AIDS-related deaths substantially since their peak, yet disparities persist across regions and populations.
World AIDS Day (December 1) serves as a reminder of both the achievements in combating HIV and the urgent need to close gaps in prevention, testing, and treatment access.
Over the past 35 years, the data show remarkable progress: the number of people newly infected with HIV globally has fallen by about 61% since the mid-1990s peak (1.3 million in 2024 versus 3.4 million in 1996).
The global HIV incidence rate (new infections per 1,000 uninfected people) has also declined sharply, from 0.59 in 1996 to 0.16 in 2024. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most affected region, accounting for half of all new infections in 2024. Although its incidence rate of 0.54 is still the highest globally, it marks a substantial decrease from its 1993 peak of 4.24.
Global AIDS-related deaths have also dropped sharply — by roughly 70% since 2005, peaking from 2.1 million in 2005 to 630,000 in 2024. In many Sub-Saharan African countries, including South Africa and Zimbabwe, AIDS-related deaths have declined substantially over the same period — from 280,000 to 53,000 in South Africa and from 140,000 to 17,000 in Zimbabwe between 2005 and 2024.
With expanded access to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), people with HIV are living longer and healthier lives. ART can suppress the virus to undetectable levels, preventing progression to AIDS — and when viral load is undetectable, HIV is not sexually transmitted to HIV-negative partners. ART contributes not only to improved survival but also to a better quality of life for people living with HIV. Because there is still no cure for HIV, early initiation and lifelong adherence to treatment are essential to maintain viral suppression and prevent disease advancement. While the number of people receiving ART rose from 7.7 million in 2010 to 31.6 million in 2024, 9.2 million people were still not on treatment in 2024. According to UNAIDS, stigma and discrimination, gaps in healthcare systems, and limited support for people living with HIV continue to hinder access and adherence to treatment.
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV remains a serious concern. Although the number of children born with HIV has decreased, challenges persist. In 2024, about 84% of pregnant women living with HIV received antiretrovirals during pregnancy to reduce the risk of passing the virus to their infants — leaving roughly 16% without this essential intervention. The coverage of these prevention services has also plateaued in recent years.
Among children (ages 0–14) living with HIV, only about 55% are receiving ART — far lower than the rates observed among adult females and males (ages 15+), at 83% and 73% respectively in 2024. In the same year, roughly 620,000 children with HIV were not receiving ART, and 40% of them were under age five. Without treatment, the consequences are severe: over half of HIV-infected infants progress to AIDS and die by age two if untreated, according to a Cochrane review.
UNICEF estimates that nearly 65% of new HIV infections among children in 2024 resulted from mothers either not receiving ART or discontinuing treatment during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Expanding prenatal care, strengthening service delivery in the post-partum period, and integrating HIV testing and treatment into maternal health services are critical to eliminating vertical transmission.
UNAIDS cautions that maintaining HIV service delivery will require continued commitment and stable financing, particularly in countries heavily dependent on external aid.
Note(s):
[A] The term country, used interchangeably with economy, does not imply political independence but refers to any territory for which authorities report separate social or economic statistics.
1 AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, the most advanced stage of HIV infection. At this stage, the immune system is severely weakened, and a person becomes highly vulnerable to opportunistic infections, such as tuberculosis, fungial and severe bacterial infectionsd, as well as certain cancers.
2 HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is a retrovirus that attacks the body’s immune cells, making a person more vulnerable to infections and diseases. HIV can be transmitted through sexual contact, blood transfusions, sharing contaminated needles, and from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
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