Worldwide, AIDS-related deaths almost halved since 2005, to around a million last year *. This is mainly because more people with HIV are being treated. Both sexes have similar rates of infection.

The rate of new infections is also falling, less than 2 million in 2016.


Antiretroviral drugs can keep symptoms at bay indefinitely, although there is as yet no cure - no medication will clear viruses from someone’s body completely, nor is there a vaccine.


" UNAID ", United Nations body charged with combating HIV and AIDS, has set a goal for 2020 which seems realistic - that 90% of those who are infected will know their HIV status, 90% of those will be on treatment, and in 90% of those ( ~3/4 of the total ), treatment will be effective.


The UK already reaches this goal. It’s recently been suggested that screening for HIV in primary care should be promoted in areas where it’s known to be relatively common. Early diagnosis and treatment has advantages, but more work for GPs. Most testing is still in sexual health and antenatal clinics. More hospital HIV testing - obviously with informed consent - has also been suggested. The stigma and fear of a positive test for HIV * could be reduced further.


There’s been good progress in the world’s most affected areas ( eastern and southern Africa ), but less positive elsewhere, such as Russia and Ukraine.


There appears to have been a genuine increase in the number of new HIV infections in the Philippines * over the past few years. It’s said to be the fastest growing epidemic in southeast Asia. While 10 years ago one new case was diagnosed every day, last year 26 Filipinos contracted HIV daily. New infections are said to be concentrated in key populations - men who have sex with men, transgender women, and injection drug users. President Duterte’s war on drugs - while widely supported in the country - may well have had the unintended consequence of increasing HIV infections. Lack of promotion of condoms - and lack of awareness of their effectiveness - are other factors. Funding on HIV/AIDS control was less than $15 million in 2015 - mostly from international sources.


There is no room for complacency, either in the Philippines; or worldwide, where just over half of people living with HIV are on treatment … but 17 million are not.

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