Porto Alegre records highest AIDS mortality rate in Brazil

In 2024 the city of Porto Alegre registered 12 AIDS deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest mortality rate in Brazil. The capital accounted for 43% of all AIDS notifications in Rio Grande do Sul. Nationwide, the Ministry of Health reported 36,955 new AIDS diagnoses, a 1.5% decline from the previous year, and 9,157 deaths, down 12.8%.

Experts note the epidemic is concentrated in socially vulnerable areas, with most cases among heterosexual women and Black populations who often receive a late diagnosis. Dr. Dimas Kliemann, president of the Sociedade Gaúcha de Infectologia, warned, "Não é mais como era 20 anos atrás, uma doença, uma sentença de morte praticamente. Mas, ainda assim, não é uma doença boa."

Health authorities stress early testing, immediate treatment and preventive measures such as PrEP to curb further mortality.