Día Mundial contra el VIH: pacientes denuncian abandono y retroceso en el control de la epidemia en Colombia Colombia is facing a concerning increase in HIV cases, with 211,000 individuals living with the virus by October of the current year, surpassing the previous year’s total. This surge is coupled with severe medication supply issues, leaving approximately 6,000 people without treatment for over 15 days due to non-payment to healthcare providers. The situation highlights critical failures in prevention strategies and places a significant financial burden on the healthcare system.

• Colombia registered 20,000 new HIV cases last year and 211,000 by October this year.
• Over 185,000 people were registered with HIV last year; this year’s count already exceeds that.
• Approximately 6,000 people have been without HIV treatment for over 15 days due to non-payment to IPS.
• HIV is considered 100% preventable, yet cases continue to rise annually.
• Extramural teams responsible for prevention and detection are reportedly not performing efficiently.
• The annual cost of care per new HIV patient is approximately 15 million pesos, with a UPC of 1.6 million pesos per year.