New Study in The Lancet HIV Suggests Stalling Progress in HIV Prevention in South Africa

A significant new study published in The Lancet HIV indicates that South Africa's HIV prevention efforts may have stalled, even before recent aid cuts. The research, conducted in the uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal, found a substantial reduction in new infections between 2013 and 2018, but a plateau in HIV incidence from 2019 to 2025. While incidence continued to decline among young adults, this was offset by an increase in older adults, and the number of people with detectable HIV viraemia rose by 10% during the same period.