Resources, Inequality Threaten HIV Fight — Paho
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is warning that declining resources and persistent inequality are undermining efforts to end HIV as a public health threat across Latin America and the Caribbean, with about 2.8 million people living with HIV in the region in 2024, PAHO told BVI News. PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa urged governments to urgently scale up testing, prevention and treatment, warning that roughly one-third of people with HIV are still diagnosed late and that every country must act faster to avoid preventable deaths.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is sounding the alarm that declining resources and persistent inequality threaten efforts to end HIV as a public health threat across Latin America and the Caribbean, the agency told BVI News in an updated briefing. PAHO estimates about 2.8 million people were living with HIV in the region in 2024 and says far too many are still diagnosed late — roughly one-third of people with HIV — when the virus has already severely damaged their immune systems.
Jarbas Barbosa warned that late diagnosis raises the risk of fatal opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis and serious fungal diseases, and he urged wider access to screening and community-based services to reach people who are currently missed. According to PAHO, the Caribbean has recorded measurable gains: new infections have fallen by 21 percent since 2010 and AIDS-related deaths have dropped from about 12,000 to 4,800.
By contrast, Latin America has seen a 13 percent increase in new infections over the same period, and thousands continue to die each year from HIV-related causes, PAHO told BVI News. PAHO highlighted advances in treatment that have improved quality of life for people with HIV, including simplified regimens and longer-acting medicines.
The organisation also noted that current HIV medications can suppress the virus to undetectable levels so people who remain on effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) do not sexually transmit HIV — the ‘‘undetectable equals untransmittable’’ (U=U) message PAHO says is vital to reducing stigma and encouraging testing and treatment uptake.
Despite medical advances, prevention tools such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) remain unevenly available across countries. PAHO and BVI News say expanding these options could reduce new infections, particularly among the most at-risk groups.
The agency singled out a new long-acting injectable PrEP — given twice a year — as a potentially game-changing option if it is rapidly rolled out across the region. PAHO’s updated message, quoted by BVI News, included an appeal from Dr. Barbosa: “Behind every number is a story, a family, a dream cut short.” The organisation urged every country in the Caribbean and Latin America to act faster to protect gains and ensure no more lives are lost to late diagnosis.
What this means for the British Virgin Islands: local health services, community organisations and residents each have a role to play. The BVI Health Services Authority and community clinics can provide testing and link people rapidly to treatment. Residents are encouraged to ask about confidentiality, testing options and whether PrEP or PEP are available locally.
Where services are limited, community-based screening and outreach have proven effective in reaching people who may not otherwise seek care. PAHO’s warning is a call to action: governments, donors and civil society must protect and expand HIV services, remove barriers for marginalized groups, and scale up prevention and testing now to preserve hard-won progress and prevent further avoidable deaths in the region, PAHO told BVI News.
Primary source: BVI News