World AIDS Day: Israel’s New HIV/AIDS Cases Drop by 22% in 2024, Ministry of Health Data Shows

In Israel in 2024, 317 new HIV diagnoses were reported. This marks a decrease of approximately 22% compared to 2023, with the HIV/AIDS incidence rate dropping from $4.1$ to $3.2$ new cases per $100,000$ people.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), $1.3$ million people were newly diagnosed as HIV carriers globally in 2024, a figure consistent with 2023. During that same period, $630,000$ people died from HIV-related illnesses, which include tuberculosis, recurrent pneumonia, and lymphoma, among others. By the end of 2024, an estimated $40.8$ million people worldwide were living with HIV.

Dr. Or Krieger, Deputy Chief of the Public Health Division at the ministry of Health, stated, “Consistent medical follow-up and medication prevent the deterioration of the medical condition of HIV carriers and simultaneously prevent the transmission of the virus to others. The Ministry of Health recommends getting tested for the HIV virus for people who have sexual relations with new partners, those who have multiple sexual partners, new immigrants arriving from areas where the prevalence of HIV in the general population is high, and every pregnant woman.”

The appropriate blood test can be performed free of charge at HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations), HIV centers, and dedicated testing sites, such as the Ministry of Health’s sexual health clinics and the testing center operated by the Committee for the Fight Against AIDS.

Read the full report (Hebrew)