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Sunday, December 14, 2025
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Over 1,600 New HIV Cases Reported in Laos in First Nine Months of 2025

This Week

HIV continues its steady, often unseen spread across Laos, where 1,617 people were newly infected in the first nine months of 2025. 

Despite years of efforts to expand testing and treatment, the virus remains entrenched in communities nationwide, hitting young people the hardest, with those aged 15 to 29 accounting for half of all new cases.

The Center for HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections reported the figures on 1 December, showing that new infections remain persistently high despite ongoing efforts to expand testing and treatment nationwide. At least 94 people have died from HIV-related illnesses so far this year.

The virus attacks the immune system and, if left untreated, can progress to AIDS, the most severe stage of the infection. With early testing and access to medication, however, it is possible to live full and healthy lives.

Young people aged 15 to 29 remain the most affected group, making up 53 percent of newly reported cases, according to the national HIV center. This continues a concerning pattern of vulnerability among younger populations. However, the share is lower than in 2023, when youth accounted for more than 80 percent of new HIV cases.

Currently, 21,363 people are living with HIV in Laos. Of these, 14,314 receive antiretroviral therapy to manage the infection. The disease has claimed more than 6,000 lives since the country’s first record case in 1990. 

Health authorities now operate 196 HIV testing and treatment service sites across central, provincial, district, and local health facilities, providing testing, counseling, and treatment services throughout the country.

While antiretroviral therapy has significantly reduced deaths from HIV-related illnesses, the epidemic continues to challenge the nation’s health system. Health authorities emphasize that prevention, early testing, and timely treatment remain critical to controlling the spread of HIV. 

However, stigma and fear still prevent some people from seeking care, and economic challenges limit access to preventive medicines in certain areas despite the expansion of testing and treatment sites.

Each year on 1 December, World AIDS Day, Laos joins the global community. This year, under the theme “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response,” the country called on everyone to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

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