4 Cr People HIV Infected in 2023, 90 Lakh Lack Treatment, One AIDS Death Every Minute: UN Report

During 2023, around 40 million people were living with the HIV virus that causes AIDS. Over 9 million HIV infected persons weren’t getting any treatment. Every minute someone died of AIDS-related causes. These alarming data are part of a new UN report launched on Monday.

The UN report lamented that the funding to check HIV infection and AIDS is going down, and new infections are rising in three regions: the Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Latin America.

In 2023, around 6,30,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses, a significant decline from the 2.1 million deaths in 2004.

Gender inequality is exacerbating the risks for girls and women, the report said. In parts of Africa there is high incidence of HIV among adolescents and young women.

The proportion of new infections globally among marginalised communities that face stigma and discrimination – sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs also increased to 55 per cent in 2023 from 45 per cent in 2010, the report said.