West, Central Africa Need $2.2bn To End HIV/AIDS By 2030 – UNAIDS

A new report on HIV/AIDS situation in West and Central Africa has revealed that the region needs $2.2 billion to end HIV/AIDS by 2030.

The report, released by the UN programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Dakar, Senegal, showed that it is possible to end AIDs globally by 2030.

The director of the Regional Support Team for West and Central Africa, Ms Berthilde Gahongayire, who spoke during the report’s launch, said that new infections have declined from 450,000 in 2010 to 196 000 in 2024.

However, she said that the number of new HIV infections remains high among key populations, adolescents and young women.

“In fact, in 2023, adolescent girls and young women (aged between 15 and 24) accounted for 19 percent  of all new HIV infections in our region. In this age group, by 2022, eight out of 10 new infections will be among girls, and two out of 10 among boys,” Gahongayire said.

On access to treatment, she said that the region has also made huge progress, adding that the number of adults (aged 15 and over) receiving HIV treatment has more than doubled since 2015.

“Today, 81 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 76 per cent of those receiving antiretroviral treatment and 70 percent have a suppressed viral load.

“Countries such as Burundi and the DRC are on the verge of achieving the 95-95-95 targets for HIV testing and treatment among their adult population (aged 15 and over). Between 2010 and 2023, the number of AIDS-related deaths will have fallen by 55 percent in our region,” she added.