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HIV

Sustaining Progress Against HIV: A Diagonal Approach for Stronger Health Systems

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

As countries around the world move closer to achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals, the focus shifts to sustaining progress and preventing disruptions in the fight against HIV. According to research from the U.S. Department of State, a diagonal approach is needed to blend disease-specific funding with system-strengthening investments, ensuring that the HIV response is integrated into national health systems while increasing resilience to other health threats.

Key Takeaways:

  • The US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has a strong track record of building capabilities in laboratories, the supply chain, disease surveillance, data analytics, and the health workforce, but the impact on national health systems has been uneven.
  • A diagonal approach, blending disease-specific funding with system-strengthening investments, is necessary to sustain the HIV response and enhance global health security.
  • This approach should include integrating the HIV response into national health systems, including national public health institutions, to increase resilience to other health threats.
  • The strategy has the potential to yield results not only for the HIV response but also for other priority diseases and broader health security.
  • Researchers recommend using a diagonal approach to invest in health systems, libraries, universities, and disease surveillance to improve overall health outcomes.
  • The HIV response can benefit from collaboration with other global health initiatives, such as disease surveillance and health workforce development.
  • PEPFAR has funded numerous initiatives in health systems strengthening, disease surveillance, and data analytics to support the HIV response.

Statistics:

  • 2030 is the target year for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of eliminating HIV as a public health threat.
  • 95-95-95 is the UNAIDS goal for HIV treatment, which aims to have 95% of people living with HIV diagnosed, 95% of diagnosed people on treatment, and 95% of people on treatment with viral suppression.
  • In 2025, the world is getting closer to achieving the 95-95-95 goal, with progress being made in many countries.
  • The US Department of State's PEPFAR has invested in strengthening health systems, laboratories, supply chains, disease surveillance, data analytics, and the health workforce.

Sources:

  • Diagonal Investments In Health Systems: Pepfar's Approach To Sustaining the Hiv Response and Enhancing Global Health Security
  • The Journal of Infectious Diseases (vol. 232, 2025)
  • Oxford Univ Press Inc, Journals Dept (2001 Evans Rd, Cary, NC 27513, USA)
  • USA Dept. of State, Bur Global Hlth Secur & Diplomacy (Sa-22, Room 10300, Washington, DC 20522, United States)

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