The Lao Ministry of Health reported 1,896 new HIV cases identified between January and November 2024.
On 29 November, ahead of World AIDS Day, Deputy Minister of Health Phayvanh Keopaseuth presented new data revealing that 1,523 individuals were living with HIV from January to September 2024, with 53 percent of them aged 15–29.
Data from the AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Center showed that 218 individuals in the 25–29 age group were newly infected in the first half of 2024.
The three occupations with the highest infection rates were farmers (25.4 percent), general workers (21.7 percent), and business professionals (12.3 percent).
This brings the cumulative total to 22,584 cases since the first recorded HIV infection in Laos in 1990. These figures were discussed at the National AIDS Committee meeting on 17 December in Vientiane.
Minister of Health Bounfeng Phoummalaysith highlighted the rise in HIV cases in recent years, particularly among young people aged 15–24, who accounted for 81 percent of new infections in 2023. The national HIV infection rate increased to 0.42 percent in 2024, up from 0.39 percent in the previous year.
Last month’s meeting also reviewed Laos’ progress toward the United Nations’ 95-95-95 targets, which aim for 95 percent of people living with HIV to know their status, 95 percent of those diagnosed to access treatment, and 95 percent of those treated to achieve viral suppression.
Currently, Laos operates 196 HIV testing facilities and a network of treatment centers across all 18 provinces, providing antiretroviral therapy to 12,803 individuals.
Efforts to combat HIV in Laos include improving healthcare services, conducting public awareness campaigns, and implementing preventive measures for at-risk groups. The government remains committed to its 2030 goal of ending HIV transmission.