Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

General Information

HIV is an infection that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the white blood cells, weakening a person’s immunity against opportunistic infections, such as tuberculosis and fungal infections, severe bacterial infections and some cancers. The most advanced stage of HIV infection is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

There is no cure for HIV infection. However, with increasing access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, HIV infection has become a manageable chronic health condition, enabling people living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives.

Transmission

HIV can be transmitted via the exchange of a variety of body fluids from people living with HIV, such as blood, breast milk, semen and vaginal secretions.

HIV can also be transmitted during pregnancy and delivery to the child.

Symptoms

Though people living with HIV tend to be most infectious in the first few months after being infected, many are unaware of their status until the later stages.

The infection progressively weakens the immune system. This can cause other signs and symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, fever, diarrhoea and cough.

HIV causes other infections to get worse, such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B and mpox.

Epidemiology

HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed 36.3 million lives so far.​

There were an estimated 37.7 million people living with HIV at the end of 2020. In 2020, 680,000 people died from HIV-related causes.​

Vaccines Pipeline

2
Vaccines in
the pipeline

TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS

mRNA (2)

DEVELOPMENT PHASES

Phase I (2)

TRIAL POPULATION

Adults (2)

Source:
WHO. HIV and AIDS. 2023 [cited 2023 July]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids