Why stigma remains the biggest challenge in the fight against HIV

People living with HIV are living longer nowadays, thanks to several factors, including the successful implementation of public health interventions and campaigns, advances in science and technology, and strong global leadership and advocacy.

With the development of antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV testing uptake improved globally, as it became apparent that only people diagnosed with the disease through testing would receive the medication. In Asia and the Pacific, ART coverage among people living with HIV increased from 19 percent in 2010 to 41 percent in 2015, an increase of 24 percent from 2010, and by the end of 2022, about 76 percent of people living with HIV globally had access to ART.