Caribbean HIV crisis deepens as one-third of cases diagnosed late

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reports that approximately 5,100 people in the Caribbean die annually from HIV-related causes, with one-third of cases diagnosed at an advanced stage. These alarming statistics were central to discussions at the regional workshop titled “Uniting Science and Communities to Accelerate HIV Response in the Caribbean”, held earlier this month in Trinidad and Tobago.

The workshop, organized by the Guyana-based Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), aimed to address these critical issues by fostering collaboration between scientific experts and local communities. The goal is to enhance early detection, improve treatment access, and ultimately reduce the impact of HIV in the region.

PANCAP Director, Dr Wendy Telgt-Emanuelson, spoke of the unique challenges and urgent needs the Caribbean faces in dealing with the situation.

PAHO’s advisor for HIV/STI/TB and Viral Hepatitis, Caribbean Sub-regional Office, Sandra Jones, said while the Caribbean has progressed with HIV prevention and treatment services and innovations in HIV service delivery, the region did not achieve the 90-90-90 targets.

Data from the 2024 UANIDS report indicate that the Caribbean is not poised to achieve the 95-95-95 targets in 2025 and Jones said this may affect the ultimate goal of ending AIDs as a public health threat in 2030.

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“Despite 40 years of the epidemic, one-third of the HIV cases are identified in advanced stage. The region needs to scale up HIV prevention with effective linkage into care early through the implementation of the “treat all policy” to reduce late diagnosis while providing different innovations and interventions aimed at reducing HIV mortality, especially for those with advanced HIV,” she said.

The PAHO/WHO advisor on HIV care and treatment, Dr Omar Sued, said there are tools to eliminate HIV.

“There are accessible HIV tests, effective antiretroviral treatments, and robust preventive strategies, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP),” he said, referring to the data regarding the number of persons who die each year from HIV-related causes in the Caribbean.

He said the focus must be on critical strategies to end HIV as a public health problem. This includes normalizing and increasing the volume of HIV testing, reducing stigma and discrimination in the healthcare sector, and expanding the care package for advanced HIV.

“We believe strategic investments in these targeted interventions can significantly reduce preventable deaths. This is not only the right thing to do – it is also the smart thing,” he added.

PANCAP, which provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic and coordinates the response through the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS, said the Trinidad meeting was pivotal to sustaining the region’s HIV response and advancing discussions on investing in healthcare infrastructure.

It was also intended on creating a more sustainable future where the economic effects of HIV are minimized, allowing the Caribbean people to lead healthier, more productive lives.