PAHO, AIDS Foundation to Boost Early HIV Diagnosis in Americas

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) are joining forces to combat late HIV diagnoses across Latin America and the Caribbean. This new collaboration seeks to improve access to testing and ensure prompt linkage to care, aiming to significantly reduce AIDS-related deaths.

Late diagnosis continues to be a major hurdle in the region's HIV response. In 2025, a substantial 34% of new HIV diagnoses occurred at an advanced stage of the infection. This contributed to an estimated 32,000 deaths from AIDS-related causes in the same year. The partnership aims to accelerate progress toward eliminating HIV as a public health concern.

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We continue to see far too many people in our region learning their HIV status only after the infection has progressed to an advanced stage, reducing opportunities to prevent serious complications and avoidable deaths.

Monica Alonso, Chief of PAHO’s HIV Unit, highlighted the ongoing issue: “We continue to see far too many people in our region learning their HIV status only after the infection has progressed to an advanced stage, reducing opportunities to prevent serious complications and avoidable deaths.” She stressed that expanding testing and ensuring rapid links to care are crucial for saving lives.

The initiative was announced during PAHO’s session at the International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro. The partnership will leverage the expertise of both organizations to expand testing services, strengthen care connections, and promote innovative strategies throughout the Americas. Despite progress, an estimated 900,000 people living with HIV in the region are still not receiving treatment, and follow-up remains a key barrier.

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Expanding access to testing and ensuring that people are rapidly linked to care and treatment is essential to reducing AIDS-related deaths and saving more lives across the Americas.