Manila, Nov 29 (IANS): HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are on the rise in the Western Pacific region, reversing years of progress in the fight against the epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday.

New HIV infections have risen by eight per cent and AIDS-related deaths by 10 per cent since 2019, highlighting critical gaps in prevention, testing, treatment and care services, particularly for key populations, according to the WHO regional office in Manila.

While 76 per cent of people living with HIV in the region have access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy. "Experts agree that these disturbing trends show that much more needs to be done to stop the spread of HIV and prevent avoidable deaths," the UN health agency said in its media release.

The Western Pacific region faces significant challenges, with 2.3 million people living with HIV, 140,000 new infections and 53,000 deaths in 2023 alone, the WHO said, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Every hour, 16 people are newly infected, and six people die from HIV-related causes in the Western Pacific region," it said.

"The rising HIV infections and deaths in the Western Pacific region are a wake-up call. We must urgently address the barriers that prevent people, especially those in key populations and their partners, from accessing prevention, treatment, and care," said Saia Ma'u Piukala, WHO regional Director for the Western Pacific.