1996年引入高效抗逆转录病毒疗法（HAART）标志着HIV治疗的转折点[1]。这一疗法将艾滋病从曾经的致命疾病转变为可控的慢性病，使患者生存期大幅延长。自艾滋病流行初期1981年起，全球约有8420万例HIV诊断和4010万例艾滋病相关死亡[1]。在HAART推广后，全球AIDS相关死亡在2000年代中期达到峰值，几乎每年200万例，之后逐年下降至目前的约100万例[1]。澳大利亚的防治成果尤其显著，AIDS相关死亡在1994-1995年达峰值后，从1996年开始大幅下降[1]。
治疗方式也发生了革命性改进。现代抗逆转录病毒疗法（ART）仅需每天一粒药，相比早期需要严格间隔时间并配合葡萄柚汁的复杂要求[1]。2016年"U=U"运动确立了一个关键原则：HIV感染者如果接受有效抗逆转录病毒治疗，病毒载量不可检测，无法传播给性伴侣[1]。澳大利亚估计有30890名HIV感染者，其中95%已接受抗逆转录病毒疗法[1]，该国因此被称为全球HIV防治的领先者[1]。
然而进展面临新的威胁。联合国上月警告，2025年全球HIV防治资金下降五分之一，数十年的防治成果正面临风险[1]。联合国的目标是在2030年前将HIV基本消除为公共卫生威胁[1]。
When Jacob received his HIV diagnosis at age 24, he believed it was a death sentence. That perspective changed dramatically following the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 1996, a treatment that fundamentally altered the trajectory of HIV care and transformed the disease from fatal to manageable.[1]
The impact of HAART over the past 30 years has been profound. Since the first AIDS cases emerged in 1981, approximately 84.2 million people globally have been diagnosed with HIV, and roughly 40.1 million have died from AIDS-related causes.[1] Australia experienced a particularly steep decline in AIDS deaths after HAART's introduction; the nation had reached peak mortality rates in 1994–1995, but deaths dropped sharply from 1996 onward.[1] Worldwide, AIDS-related deaths peaked in the mid-2000s at nearly 2 million annually, a figure that has since declined to approximately 1 million per year.[1]
Modern antiretroviral treatment has become increasingly accessible and user-friendly. Contemporary regimens require only a single daily pill, a stark contrast to earlier formulations that demanded strict dosing schedules and consumption with grapefruit juice.[1] A pivotal moment in HIV care came in 2016 with the "U=U" campaign, which established that people with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load through effective antiretroviral therapy cannot transmit the virus to sexual partners.[1]
In Australia, an estimated 30,890 people are living with HIV, and 95 percent of them are receiving antiretroviral therapy.[1] Australia's HIV prevention efforts are recognized globally as leading-edge, and the United Nations has set a target to virtually eliminate HIV as a public health threat by 2030.[1] However, the UN warned last month that global HIV prevention funding is declining by one-fifth in 2025, risking the progress accumulated over decades.[1]