The Caribbean region has emerged as a global leader in HIV/AIDS response, achieving the most significant reduction in AIDS-related mortality worldwide according to the latest UNAIDS data. Between 2010 and 2024, the region recorded a remarkable 62% decline in deaths, surpassing the global average of 54% and outperforming all other regions monitored by the international health organization.
This extraordinary progress, detailed in the July 2024 Global AIDS Update Report titled ‘AIDS, Crisis and the Power to Transform,’ is largely attributed to the expanded availability of antiretroviral treatment (ART) throughout the Caribbean. The region’s success stands in stark contrast to Eastern Europe and Central Asia, which reported a concerning 48% increase in AIDS-related deaths during the same period.
Dr. Richard Amenyah, Director of UNAIDS Multi-Country Office in the Caribbean, praised the achievement as particularly noteworthy given the region’s numerous challenges. “The Caribbean’s stellar performance shows the resilience of a region constrained by social, economic challenges, high debt, declining external funding, and natural disasters,” Amenyah stated, emphasizing how “critical political leadership is to safeguard people’s health without distinction.”
The statistical transformation has been dramatic: in 2010, only 53,000 people living with HIV received treatment in the Caribbean, with 13,000 adults and children succumbing to AIDS-related conditions that year. By 2024, treatment coverage expanded to 250,000 people—including 50,000 added between 2020-2024 alone. Current metrics show 85% of HIV-positive individuals know their status, 74% receive treatment, and 66% achieve viral suppression, a substantial increase from 33% in 2017.
Despite celebrating these advancements, UNAIDS officials expressed concern about the pace of reducing new HIV infections. While global new infections have decreased by 40% since 2010, the Caribbean has managed only a 21% reduction. The 2024 data revealed 15,000 new infections, with Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Jamaica accounting for 90% of cases. Young people aged 15-24 represent 25% of new infections, highlighting a critical demographic requiring targeted intervention.
The report calls for enhanced integration of HIV services into broader health systems, strengthened community partnerships, and addressing social determinants like stigma and discrimination. Caribbean governments are urged to increase domestic funding—which rose from 30% in 2023 to 38% in 2024—and ensure programmatic sustainability to achieve the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.