WHO report shows uneven progress on HIV, hepatitis and STIs despite treatment gains

KUALA LUMPUR, 6 AUGUST 2026 —

The World Health Organization said on Monday that HIV treatment reached 32 million people by the end of 2025, yet 9 million remain untreated and new infections are rising in key groups.

The UN agency’s latest assessment, released at the 26th International AIDS Conference and ahead of World Hepatitis Day, reports a 42% drop in new HIV infections since 2010 and a 57% fall in AIDS-related deaths. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said progress is fragile. “Funding disruptions, humanitarian emergencies and persistent inequalities can quickly undo hard-won gains,” he said.

Hepatitis progress is mixed. Annual hepatitis B infections fell 32% since 2015 and hepatitis C deaths dropped 12%, yet the disease still killed an estimated 1.3 million people in 2024. Deaths from hepatitis B alone rose 17% over the same period, while diagnosis and treatment coverage remain low.

For sexually transmitted infections, diagnosis and treatment gaps, rising antimicrobial resistance and uneven HPV vaccination leave the global response off track. Gonorrhoea resistance to front-line antibiotics is growing, and several countries report increasing STI rates.

Integration is the standout opportunity. Countries combining HIV, hepatitis and STI services with primary care, tuberculosis programmes and sexual and reproductive health show the strongest results. WHO highlights elimination of mother-to-child transmission as a priority: more nations are applying for validation, showing that integrated maternal services can succeed.

Digital tools can help. WHO points to interoperable surveillance, multi-disease testing platforms and equitable access to new prevention technologies such as twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir, now introduced in 10 countries and planned for 14 more. The agency also recommends doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis to reduce bacterial STIs in high-risk groups.

Community leadership and locally generated data can sharpen accountability and reach underserved groups, WHO says. To translate these insights into action, the agency has published consolidated HIV service delivery guidelines and new HIV surveillance guidance, designed to organise prevention, testing, treatment and long-term care and to improve routine data use.

The report follows the UN’s 2026 High-Level Meeting Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS, providing evidence to help countries meet their commitments under the Global Health Sector Strategies adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2022. The strategies set a 2030 target to end HIV, hepatitis and STIs as public health threats while advancing universal health coverage and health equity.