Brazil Records Historic Drop in AIDS Deaths and Eliminates Vertical HIV Transmission in 2024
Brazil marks the lowest AIDS deaths in over 30 years and eliminates mother-to-child HIV transmission in 2024, driven by strong health policies and treatment access.
- • AIDS-related deaths fell 13% from 2023 to 2024, reaching the lowest in 32 years at 9,100 deaths.
- • New AIDS diagnoses dropped 1.5%, with significant decreases in HIV among pregnant women and exposed children.
- • Brazil maintained vertical HIV transmission below 2% and expanded prenatal care and treatment coverage to over 95%.
- • The Ministry of Health launched R$9 million funding to enhance civil society's involvement and increased PrEP use by 150%.
Key details
Brazil has achieved a remarkable milestone in the fight against HIV/AIDS, recording the lowest number of AIDS-related deaths in over three decades and effectively eliminating vertical transmission of HIV from mother to child. According to the Ministry of Health's epidemiological bulletin released in early December 2025, AIDS-related deaths declined by 13% between 2023 and 2024, dropping from more than 10,000 to 9,100 — the lowest figure in 32 years. This equates to over 1,000 lives saved within a year.
Parallel to the mortality decrease, new AIDS diagnoses fell by 1.5%, from 37,500 cases in 2023 to 36,900 in 2024. Notably, HIV cases among pregnant women dropped by 7.9%, and the number of children exposed to the virus decreased by 4.2%. Brazil maintained a vertical transmission rate below 2% and an HIV incidence of less than 0.5 per 1,000 live births, meeting World Health Organization criteria for elimination. These improvements were supported by over 95% coverage in prenatal care, HIV testing, and treatment for pregnant women living with HIV.
Minister of Health Alexandre Padilha emphasized this year's results as a historic victory, attributing the success to the Unified Health System (SUS), which provides access to modern prevention, diagnosis, and free antiretroviral treatments. The country has seen enhanced use of HIV prevention methods, including a 150% rise in Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) users, now numbering 140,000, and the SUS continues to supply therapy to over 225,000 patients.
In addition to clinical advances, the Ministry launched a R$9 million initiative to strengthen civil society's role in HIV response and inaugurated the '40 Years of the Brazilian Response to AIDS' exhibition, commemorating progress since the epidemic began. While Brazil sustains a stable population of approximately 68,400 people living with HIV/AIDS as of 2024, health authorities acknowledge ongoing challenges, including rising HIV cases in vulnerable groups and disparities in healthcare access.
Brazil's commitment aligns with WHO's 95-95-95 targets aimed at eliminating AIDS as a public health issue by 2030, focusing on diagnosing 95% of those infected, treating 95% of diagnosed individuals, and achieving viral suppression in 95%. These advancements, coinciding with World AIDS Day and the launch of Red December awareness campaigns, underscore Brazil's leadership in HIV/AIDS care and prevention.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.