He Ministry of Health has shared the latest data on the number of cases of Undetected HIV in Spain. According to a study carried out in collaboration with the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), it is estimated that the number of people who are unaware that they are infected with this virus has been reduced by almost half in the last four years, going from 13% to 7.5%. This represents a decrease of more than 42.3%.
This progress places the HIV detection rate at 92.5%, and puts Spain on the right path to reach the 95% target established in the United Nations 2030 Agenda, according to the health authorities. According to the ISCIII report in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, 92.5% of people affected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in our country know their diagnosis, the 96.6% are receiving antiretroviral treatment and 90.4% have suppressed viral load. The most outstanding data from this study is the reduction in undetected cases. Currently, it is estimated that this number stands at a 7.5% in the period 2021-2022compared to the estimated 13% in the period 2017-2019.

Early diagnosis of HIV

UNAIDS established the objective of ending HIV infection as a public health problem by ensuring that 90% of people with this virus are diagnosed by the year 2020, that 90% of them receive antiretroviral treatment and that 90% of these have suppressed viral load. This target, known as the “90-90-90” target, has been expanded to “95-95-95” by the year 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this sense, the Ministry of Health stresses that Spain is committed to these global goals and makes periodic estimates on progress on these three indicators. It’s crucial early diagnosis of HIV infection, as it has no symptoms in its early stages, which means that a person can be infected without knowing it. Therefore, early diagnosis is of vital importance so that those affected can receive antiretroviral treatment early, thus improving their quality of life and contributing to interrupting the chain of transmission. Health authorities emphasize that testing for HIV is the best way to reduce undetected cases.