Updated
Updated · World Health Organization (WHO) · Jul 27
WHO Says 32 Million Receive HIV Treatment as Hepatitis Still Kills 1.3 Million
Updated
Updated · World Health Organization (WHO) · Jul 27

WHO Says 32 Million Receive HIV Treatment as Hepatitis Still Kills 1.3 Million

3 articles · Updated · World Health Organization (WHO) · Jul 27

Summary

  • 32 million people were on HIV treatment by end-2025, WHO said, while its new 2022-2030 strategy review found 9 million still lack care and prevention setbacks are emerging.
  • New HIV infections have fallen 42% since 2010 and AIDS-related deaths 57%, but 2025 donor funding cuts disrupted prevention programs and PrEP use has already declined in some countries and communities.
  • Viral hepatitis showed uneven progress: annual hepatitis B infections are down 32% since 2015 and hepatitis C deaths 12%, yet hepatitis killed an estimated 1.3 million people in 2024 and hepatitis B deaths have risen 17% since 2015.
  • STI efforts remain off track as incidence rises in several countries, gonorrhoea antibiotic resistance grows, and HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening coverage stay insufficient.
  • WHO said faster gains will depend on integrating HIV, hepatitis and STI services into primary care, while newer tools such as twice-yearly lenacapavir are being introduced in 10 countries with 14 more planned.

Insights

With recent funding cuts threatening a decade of progress, can integrated primary care truly save global hepatitis efforts from collapsing?
Could the new twice-yearly HIV injection be the breakthrough we need, or will financial barriers keep it completely out of reach?
As gonorrhea grows increasingly antibiotic-resistant, will new prevention pills like doxyPEP accidentally trigger a much worse superbug crisis?