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HIV infections in Chicago have started to again decline following a spike in diagnoses in 2024, according to data released Thursday by the Chicago Department of Public Health
The number of new HIV diagnoses — 504 — decreased by about 38% compared to last year, according to the city’s HIV midyear data brief. HIV infections had previously been on the rise in Chicago after a two-decade drop, with infections growing 29% between 2022 and 2024
In 2024, nearly half of the new infections were among Latinos, which marked the first time the racial and ethnic group accounted for the most new diagnoses
The new data shows that Black individuals accounted for most of the infections, about 47%, according to the city’s data from 2025. Latinos account for 34% of the new infections
City officials cautioned that the new data was considered provisional and may shift once it’s finalized
“It reflects the ongoing work CDPH does with our community and healthcare partners to get Chicagoans tested, connected to care, and engaged in HIV prevention,” said Dr. Garth Walker, the city’s public health commissioner, in a news release. “With health equity as our guiding star, the trends are promising. The exact numbers may shift between now and December, but this points in a positive direction for what we expect to confirm near the end of the year.”
The number of AIDS diagnoses also decreased so far by nearly 23%, according to the city’s data
Community groups, particularly those that lost funding this year for HIV prevention efforts, have been critical of how the city is dispersing funds to address HIV and AIDS. On Wednesday, a group of advocates protested outside of the Chicago Board of Health meeting in the Loop
About three dozen people circled outside where the meeting was taking place chanting, “These budget cuts have got to go.”
Kendall Moore, from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said they were calling on the city’s public health department to restore funding, in particular for community groups that served the South and West sides
“These are real people that we’re talking about,” Moore said. “These are real systems that have critically adjusted. There are folks who have fallen out of care. And the question remains: Does the city really care about these communities?”
Many advocates held signs asking the same question
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has a pending lawsuit in Circuit Court of Cook County against the city’s Department of Public Health over its handling of Ryan White HIV/AIDS program funds. The lawsuit alleges that the city improperly denied their funding proposal and did not follow regulations surrounding how the funds are dispersed
In May, Dr. Olusimbo Igeresigned as commissioner of the city’s health department. Moore said they had not yet met with Walker who was tapped in July to replace Ige
Moore said advocates plan to continue protesting until funding is restored to community groups like the South Side Help Center
“We’re going to continue to do everything that we possibly can to get the money restored, so that folks can receive a healthy bill of health and do what we can in our power,” Moore said
The next court hearing is scheduled for Monday
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Elvia Malagón
Chicago Sun-TimesReporter/assistant editor
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