Thirty-two million people living with HIV are now receiving life-saving treatment — the highest number ever recorded. That's one of the major findings from a new World Health Organization report released in Geneva this week, which shows the world has made real progress against HIV, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections over the past decade and a half.
The report, launched during the 26th International AIDS Conference and ahead of World Hepatitis Day on July 28, tells a story of both achievement and urgency. While millions more people are getting the medicines they need, millions more still cannot access them.
Since 2010, new HIV infections have dropped by 42 percent worldwide, and AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 57 percent. These numbers represent real lives saved and families kept together. The progress in fighting hepatitis is equally notable: since 2015, new hepatitis B infections have fallen by 32 percent globally.
But the report also shows stubborn challenges. About 9 million people still cannot get the HIV treatment they need. While hepatitis B infections are declining, deaths from hepatitis B have actually risen by 17 percent since 2015, partly because too few people are being diagnosed and treated. Viral hepatitis remains one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, claiming roughly 1.3 million lives in 2024 alone.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, said the report demonstrates what becomes possible when countries invest in health, communities, and science. But he warned that funding disruptions, humanitarian crises, and persistent inequalities can quickly erase hard-won gains.
The good news is that countries finding the most success are doing something simple yet powerful: they're combining services. Rather than treating HIV, hepatitis, and STIs separately, these countries are delivering testing and treatment through primary health clinics, alongside services for tuberculosis, maternal health, and other common needs. This integration makes it easier for people to get the care they need in one place.
A growing number of countries are now applying to WHO for official validation that they have eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B — proof that these goals are achievable when health systems work together.
New tools are also helping. A twice-yearly injectable medication called lenacapavir, recently recommended by WHO, is now being introduced in 10 countries with rollout planned in 14 more. This long-acting prevention option could make it much easier for people at high risk to stay protected.
Over the next five years, the report calls on countries to build stronger, more integrated health systems that reach the people most often left behind. The goal of eliminating HIV, hepatitis, and STIs as public health threats by 2030 remains within reach — but only if investment continues and services reach everyone who needs them.