While other regions in the world have made notable progress in curbing new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, the Western Pacific still faces significant challenges, with 2.3 million people living with HIV, 140,000 new infections and 53,000 deaths in 2023 alone.
Every hour, 16 people are newly infected and six people die from HIV-related causes in the Western Pacific region, according to the World Health Organisation.
WHO said new HIV infections in the region have risen by 8 percent and AIDS-related deaths by 10 percent since 2019.
The Western Pacific is home to almost 1.9 billion people across 37 countries including small island nations.
The rising HIV cases and AIDS-linked deaths overturned years of progress in the fight against the epidemic and underscored the critical gaps in prevention, testing, treatment and care services, particularly for key populations, WHO said.
While 76 percent of people living with HIV in the region have access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy, experts agree that these disturbing trends show that much more needs to be done to stop the spread of HIV and prevent avoidable deaths.
There are 19,000 children living with HIV in the region, but only two out of three of them are on antiretroviral therapy.
Globally in 2023, there were 39.9 million people with HIV; 630 000 people died from HIV-related causes; and another 1.3 million people acquired the virus.
The epidemic continues to disproportionately affect key populations, including men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, female sex workers, people who inject drugs and their partners.
Between 2010 and 2022, new HIV infections among these groups surged by as much as 85 percent, highlighting persistent inequities that demand immediate attention.
Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, emphasised the urgency of addressing these challenges: “The rising HIV infections and deaths in the Western Pacific Region are a wake-up call. We must urgently address the barriers that prevent people — especially those in key populations and their partners — from accessing prevention, treatment, and care.”
“Achieving universal health coverage and protecting the right to health are critical to reversing these worrying trends and ensuring that the services are reaching everyone, including the most underserved populations,” he noted.
HIV transmission can be prevented. In the Western Pacific, domestic funding for HIV response has grown and now surpasses external aid. Effective tools, such as condoms, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and needle and syringe programs – as well as life-saving treatments such as antiretroviral therapy are available.
WHO said people taking antiretroviral therapy, who achieve an undetectable viral load not only prevent the virus from passing to sexual partners but also can lead long, healthy and productive lives.
But these efforts remain underfunded. Inadequate stocks of diagnostics and drugs, along with stigma and discrimination, further hinder progress. Closing these gaps is essential to reduce new infections and ensure equitable access to high-quality prevention and treatment services for all.
Ahead of World AIDS Day on 01 December, WHO calls on governments and communities across the region to allocate adequate resources to strengthen and sustain HIV services.
Integrating HIV prevention, treatment and care within primary health-care systems is critical to improving the accessibility and resilience of these services.
This year’s theme, “Take the Right Path: My Health, My Right,” highlights the critical role of human rights in breaking down barriers to HIV services.
Empowering individuals with access to prevention, education and care not only improves their health, but also upholds their fundamental rights.
