Zambia has recorded a slight decline in the number of people living with HIV, from 1.311 million in 2023 to an estimated 1.308 million in 2025.
Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Kennedy Lishimpi disclosed this during the dissemination of the 2025 HIV Spectrum Estimates in Lusaka today.
Dr Lishimpi revealed that women account for 64 percent of people living with HIV, while also representing 61 percent of new HIV infections.
“These estimates are more than technical projections, they provide the foundation of our national HIV response,” Dr Lishimpi said.
He said Zambia had made significant progress in reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, with the rate declining from 34.4 percent in 2005 to 6.12 percent in 2025.
Dr Lishimpi noted that the country must intensify efforts to reach the World Health Organisation’s elimination threshold of below five percent.
He said children living with HIV had declined from 137,000 in 2005 to 59,000 in 2025, while new pediatric infections fell from 23,000 to 2,700 during the same period.
Dr Lishimpi further added that AIDS related deaths had also declined from 66,000 in 2005 to 16,000 in 2025, largely due to increased access to antiretroviral treatment.
He noted that advanced HIV disease remains a major challenge, particularly among people who have not tested, interrupted treatment or experienced treatment failure.
Dr Lishimpi said the Government remains committed to reducing new HIV infections to below 10,000 by 2030 through stronger prevention programmes and the introduction of new technologies.
He said the Government will scale up long acting HIV prevention methods, including cabotegravir and lenacapavir, while continuing voluntary medical male circumcision.
“Let us use this evidence to accelerate impact and ensure no one is left behind,” Dr Lishimpi said.
Meanwhile, UNFPA Country Representative Seth Broekman has called for increased investment in HIV prevention programmes targeting adolescent girls and young women.
He commended Zambia for progress in reducing adult HIV prevalence and new infections, as well as surpassing the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets.
Mr Broekman, however, warned that declining external HIV financing and rising health system costs could threaten progress if prevention programmes are not adequately funded.
“Strategic investment in prevention will save lives, protect human capital and reduce long-term treatment costs,” he said.
Mr Broekman said Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces account for about 43 percent of Zambia’s HIV burden, while some districts continue to record prevalence rates above 15 percent.
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