New HIV Infections Are Surging in the MENA Region

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has seen a dramatic rise in new HIV infections, with cases increasing by 94 percent between 2010 and 2024, according to the latest UNAIDS report.

Globally, there were an estimated 1.3 million new HIV infections in 2024. While this figure remains far too high, it is the lowest total in decades, with declines strongest in regions with historically high HIV burdens.

East and Southern Africa, for example, saw a 55 percent drop in new HIV infections between 2010 and 2024. However, the region still recorded the highest number of new cases worldwide, with 490,000 in 2024. Asia and the Pacific had the second-highest number at 300,000, a 17 percent decline over the same period.

Other regions experiencing increases include Latin America (+13 percent) and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (+7 percent).

Since 2010, new HIV infections among children have declined by 62 percent, from 310,000 to 120,000 in 2024. Although progress in reducing new infections is greatest among children, progress has stalled in recent years.

December 1 marks World AIDS Day.