Mayotte is the second department most impacted by HIV and STIs

The figures published this November 26 by Public Health France are alarming. 11.9 per 100,000 inhabitants is the HIV incidence rate in Mayotte the previous year. Moreover, “In 2023, the HIV discovery rate in Mayotte, although slightly decreasing, remained significantly higher than that of Île-de-France: 296 compared to 173 per million inhabitants”indicates Public Health France.

These indicators place the department among the most affected nationally, just behind Guyana which holds first place. Still according to the latest figures published on the occasion of World AIDS Day (December 1), in 2023 “around 140 people living with HIV in Mayotte still do not know their status.” The number of AIDS diagnoses was estimated at 8 last year. It has generally been increasing since 2014.

The health bulletin also mentions sexually transmitted infections (STIs). “The estimates reveal a worrying situation, also placing Mayotte among the most impacted regions.”

Screenings that are becoming rare

The average time between infection and diagnosis is estimated at 2.3 years. But patients still need to be screened. “A worrying point lies in the low screening of women aged 15 to 24 compared to that of women aged 25 to 49, often screened as part of their pregnancy monitoring” details Public Health France. Same observation among men who are screened much less, all categories combined.