Concerns raised about HIV response in Caribbean
The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is calling on Caribbean and Latin American governments to urgently scale up HIV testing, prevention, and treatment, warning that too many people are still being diagnosed only when the virus has already severely damaged their immune system.
PAHO says early testing and rapid access to antiretroviral therapy are key to stopping preventable deaths and ending the epidemic as a public health threat.
An estimated 2.8 million people were living with HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024.
The Caribbean has made visible progress, recording a 21% decrease in new infections since 2010 and a sharp drop in AIDS-related deaths, from 12,000 to 4,800. But Latin America has seen a 13% increase in new infections during the same period, and thousands still die each year across the region from HIV-related causes.
PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa said the region has advanced significantly, particularly with the introduction of simplified treatment and longer-acting medicines that improve quality of life. However, he warned that around one-third of people with HIV in the Caribbean and Latin America are diagnosed late, when they already face serious health risks from infections like tuberculosis or fungal diseases.
“Behind every number is a story, a family, a dream cut short,” Barbosa said, urging wider access to screening and community-based services to reach those who are currently missed.
Prevention tools such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) are still not widely available in many countries. PAHO says expanding these options could help reduce new infections, especially among groups most at risk. The introduction of a long-acting injectable PrEP — administered only twice a year — could make an even greater difference once rolled out in the region.
Today’s HIV medications can suppress the virus to undetectable levels, meaning people who stay on treatment do not transmit HIV sexually. PAHO stresses that this message — “undetectable equals untransmittable” — is vital to breaking stigma and encouraging more people to get tested.
The organisation urged every country in the Caribbean and Latin America to act faster to protect the progress already gained and ensure no more lives are lost to late diagnosis
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PAHO stresses that this message — “undetectable equals untransmittable” — is vital to breaking stigma and encouraging more people to get tested. But I wouldn’t have sex with a person I knew had aids, no way I trust the drugs to keep me clean.