HIV detection initiatives report significant new diagnoses in Argentina and Spain

In Argentina, approximately 140,000 people are living with HIV, with 6,000 to 7,000 new cases diagnosed annually. Miguel Díaz, former director of Hospital Rawson in Córdoba, noted that roughly 40% of these new cases are detected late. To address this, home-based testing devices using oral swabs and cassette readers are being discussed as a way to increase accessibility and reduce discrimination, though cost remains a potential barrier.

In Spain, the Deja Tu Huella initiative, led by the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES) and Gilead Sciences, has identified 3,262 new HIV cases through more than 366,000 tests conducted in emergency departments. This program accounts for approximately 20% of new national HIV diagnoses. By facilitating early detection, the initiative aims to prevent further transmission, with estimates suggesting it could have prevented between 6,524 and 13,048 new infections over its five and a half years of operation.