HIV/AIDS
To be written by SolthisWhat are the main challenges related to HIV today?
Despite twenty years of progress, HIV remains a major public health challenge in West and Central Africa.
According to UNAIDS, in 2025, the region had approximately 5.2 million people living with HIV, 190,000 new infections, and 110,000 deaths. However, mortality has decreased by 60% and new infections by 46% since 2010.
Progress in access to testing and treatment, however, remains insufficient, and certain populations remain particularly vulnerable.
In particular, children and adolescents living with HIV are not receiving adequate care: only 41% are receiving treatment, compared to 76% of adults. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV also remains inadequate.
Adolescent girls and young women aged 15 to 24 are particularly at risk and account for 23% of new infections. Key populations and their partners, meanwhile, account for 64% of new infections.
Other challenges remain: late diagnosis, stigma, disruptions in the supply of treatments, inadequate management of treatment failures and side effects, limited access to therapeutic innovations, and still insufficient management of age-related comorbidities among people living with HIV.
Finally, the heavy reliance of HIV programs on international funding undermines the sustainability of the progress made.