PAHO Launches Regional Alliance to Eliminate HIV by 2030

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) launched a regional alliance to accelerate HIV elimination in the Americas, aiming to reduce new infections by 90% and reach zero AIDS-related deaths by 2030. The initiative seeks to strengthen political coordination, expand access to new prevention tools, and align national efforts with regional health goals.

“This platform is a call to rethink approaches, rebuild alliances, and strengthen collective action in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, ensuring universal access to innovative, life-saving technologies,” says Mónica Alonso, Head of the HIV, Hepatitis, Tuberculosis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Unit, PAHO. She adds that progress will also depend on removing barriers that limit access to services.

The alliance comes as countries in the region continue to face uneven progress. In 2024, the Americas recorded an estimated 170,000 new infections and 38,000 AIDS-related deaths, according to UNAIDS. While the Caribbean achieved a 21% reduction in new infections between 2010 and 2024, Latin America saw a 13% increase. Public-health agencies warn that late diagnosis remains a key driver of preventable deaths and ongoing transmission.

In Mexico, new epidemiological data from the Ministry of Health shows the scale of delayed detection. The country registered 187,596 HIV cases between 2014 and mid-November 2025. Men represented 84.4% of cases reported during this period. In 2025 alone, Mexico recorded 16,323 new diagnoses, a decline from 18,895 in 2024, though transmission patterns remain concentrated among young adults and high-incidence states such as Quintana Roo, Baja California Sur, Yucatan, Colima, and Tabasco. National mortality data shows 4,953 HIV-related deaths in 2023.

PAHO estimates that one in three people with HIV in the region are diagnosed late, increasing the likelihood of opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis and severe fungal disease. About 14% of people with HIV in Latin America are unaware of their status despite expanded antiretroviral therapy availability. Behind the region’s 38,000 annual HIV-related deaths “is a story, a family, a dream cut short,” says Jarbas Barbosa, Director, PAHO.

The alliance focuses on three priority areas: expanded and timely diagnosis, including broader access to HIV self-testing; accelerated adoption of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) options, including long-acting injectable formulations; and optimized antiretroviral treatment to sustain viral suppression. PAHO projects that combining oral and injectable PrEP could reduce new infections by more than 70% over the next four years. If paired with expanded antiretroviral treatment coverage, declines could surpass 90% across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Long-acting options are expected to improve adherence and reach populations with limited contact with health services. Lenacapavir, the first twice-yearly injectable PrEP, will be introduced through PAHO’s joint procurement mechanisms. Regional pooled purchasing has historically supported access to vaccines, medicines, and diagnostic tools at reduced cost. PAHO cites this model as a way to accelerate the introduction of new biomedical innovations and support national HIV programs.

Late diagnosis among men remains a recurring obstacle in several countries, including Mexico. Structural barriers — long working hours, stigma, mobility, and lack of privacy — often deter clinic visits. Worker-focused testing initiatives have emerged as an alternative. Programs modeled on the International Labour Organization’s VCT@WORK framework bring voluntary testing to workplaces in sectors such as transportation, construction, mining, and seasonal agriculture. These interventions rely on peer educators and confidentiality protections established under ILO Recommendation 200, which prohibits mandatory HIV testing and employment discrimination based on HIV status.

Self-testing kits have further expanded private, rapid testing options. Workers in mobile industries, such as long-haul trucking, have reported that self-testing allows them to screen without missing wages or facing stigma. These tools align with PAHO’s effort to diversify entry points to diagnosis and reduce delays that lead to late-stage disease.

Innovation in diagnostics is also advancing. In Mexico City, Tecnológico de Monterrey and the Translational Institute of Genomic Singularity recently opened a Genomic and Clinical Innovation Unit capable of processing up to 14,000 genetic tests per day. Early projects include a portable platform for HIV-1 viral load testing in low-resource settings and an AI-based system for sepsis analysis. The Ministry of Economy says the facility aims to link scientific research with public-health goals by strengthening capacity for rapid, precise diagnostics.

HIV elimination is a regional priority aligned with the Sustainable Health Agenda for the Americas 2018-2030 and PAHO’s broader disease-elimination initiatives. PAHO will coordinate with UNAIDS, the Horizontal Technical Cooperation Group, governments, communities, academic institutions, and private-sector partners to advance these goals. Activities will include regulatory harmonization, financing strategies, and platforms to introduce new prevention, diagnosis and treatment tools.

PAHO will integrate the alliance into its World AIDS Day campaign, “Zero AIDS Deaths by 2030.” The organization is urging governments to expand rapid testing, remove obstacles to post-exposure prophylaxis, strengthen services for survivors of sexual violence, and adopt long-acting prevention methods. Officials say the combined impact of biomedical innovation, workplace engagement, and health-system improvements could place the region on a path toward HIV elimination within the decade.