More than 10,000 doctors, public health experts and activists from some 175 countries are converging on the Bavarian city of Munich on Monday for the world's largest annual conference on HIV and AIDS.

The 25th International AIDS conference aims to be a platform for sharing research and best practice on combating the infection, which still causes many deaths around the world.

In 2022, some 40 million people worldwide were living with the HIV virus, a condition that can be treated but not cured.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to open the five-day conference with a speech at 5 p.m. local time (1500 GMT).

Declining government interest

AIDS-related deaths have been cut by 69% since a peak in 2004 and by 51% since 2010, according to UN figures.

However, experts say that such progress is at risk as governments reduce funding for the fight against HIV/AIDS amid declining interest from public health authorities.

This is compounded, they say, by the continued stigmatization of the groups, including men who have sex with men, sex workers, transgender people and syringe-using drug takers, who are most at risk of contracting an infection.

The faltering funding has put the UN goal of reducing new infections and AIDS-related deaths by over 90% between 2010 and 2030 in jeopardy.

What is the current situation?

According to UNAID figures to be presented at the conference, some 1.3 million new infections were recorded last year. 

That represents an increase of 100,000 compared to 2022 but a significant drop from 1995, when there were a record 3.3 million infections.

However, the figure is far above the UNAIDS' target of 330,000 new infections next year.

Eastern and southern Africa remain the most-affected regions, with 20.8 million people living with HIV, 450,000 infected last year and 260,000 fatalities.

However, infections are rising in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Latin America.

What is HIV/AIDS?

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is caused by infection with one of the two species of Lentivirus called human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV).

HIV is transmitted mostly by unprotected sexual intercourse, contaminated hypodermic needles or blood transfusions. It can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.

Having the condition leads to a gradual failure of the immune system, something that allows other infections and cancers to flourish.

If left untreated, those infected with HIV die on average within an estimated 9 to 11 years. 

However, antiretroviral drugs now often turn HIV into a chronic condition that often does not progress to AIDS, meaning that those infected can have a normal lifespan.

tj/rm (dpa, AFP)