Muscat - 1st December 2025 -  On this World AIDS Day, let's join the world in reflecting on the profound progress made against HIV. Medical and public policy breakthroughs have accelerated the possibilities for protecting against HIV infection and towards expanding rights and choices for people around the world. Groundbreaking new medications have broadened prevention options so people can choose what works best to safeguard themselves. More countries are embedding HIV prevention in national health systems.

The Sultanate of Oman stands as a beacon of public health achievement in the region. Its success in receiving WHO validation for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and Syphilis in 2022 is a testament to strong political will and sustained investment in antenatal care and Primary Health Care (PHC). This achievement, along with consistently low mother-to-child transmission rates in recent years, suggests that ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 might be achievable.

However, this progress is facing setbacks. We must not let past success breed complacency as AIDS increases maternal deaths, inhibits access to healthcare through fear of stigma, and is strongly associated with gender-based violence and gender inequality. Recent data shows a trend that threatens to unravel these gains: an increase in the annual number of new HIV diagnoses among Omani citizens. This could have long-lasting consequences for individuals, their families and communities.

While Oman remains a low-prevalence country, the rising number of new cases, particularly a surge in diagnoses among the 25–34 age group, points to an increase in risk-taking behaviour and may highlight a gap in prevention efforts. Recent data indicated that annual new HIV cases among Omani citizens have exceeded 140 in last three years, a trend that suggests new infections are occurring despite prevention efforts. A review of available data in the past decades highlights that people living with HIV in Oman are still diagnosed late, with many showing low CD4 counts. This late diagnosis not only increases the risk of illness and death for the individual but also means they have spent more time unknowingly transmitting the virus, contributing to the growing incidence.

The increasing incidence among vulnerable and key populations may present a critical public health and human rights challenge. The evidence underscores an urgent reality: the HIV epidemic in Oman is shifting, driven primarily by sexual transmission, and is increasingly concentrated among young adults and key populations who preventive services may not adequately reach. This calls for tailored prevention services and removing barriers to treatment continuation for those groups.

In line with the global call to "Overcome Disruption, Transform the AIDS Response," UNFPA and WHO aims to offer orientations and recommendations:

• Conduct a comprehensive review of laws, policies, and practices that may create barriers to accessing HIV prevention, testing, and treatment, especially for key populations.
• Launch a high-profile, nation-wide public education campaign to combat the stigma and discrimination that prevent individuals from seeking early testing and care.
• Scale up comprehensive prevention for youth integrating comprehensive, age-appropriate information into the education curriculum, focusing on life skills, responsible decision-making, gender equality, and HIV/STI prevention, in a manner that respects Omani culture and values.
• Decentralize and normalize HIV testing by integrating it into routine health check-ups outside of antenatal care, and promote voluntary self-testing options to reach young people and those hesitant to visit a clinic.
• Implement a comprehensive HIV prevention and care package within correctional facilities, ensuring routine, confidential, and voluntary HIV testing, immediate, uninterrupted access to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) for all who test positive, and the continuity of care planning upon release, including referral linkages to community health services.
• Evaluate and, where appropriate, scale up evidence-based harm reduction strategies to address injection drug use, which, while a smaller transmission route, remains a critical factor for new infections and co-morbidities.

The late diagnosis rates tell us that too many Omanis may be unaware of their HIV status until the virus has already damaged their health. This World AIDS Day, let the rising number of new cases be a decisive call to action.

Oman has the infrastructure, the resources, and the proven track record to meet the 2030 goal of ending AIDS. By re-energizing the national response with a focus on human rights, community leadership, and bold prevention strategies, the Sultanate can not only protect its citizens but also reaffirm its role as a regional leader in public health. The time to transform the AIDS response is now. Let’s come together and finish what we know works and what we know is possible – an AIDS-free future for all.