Progress in the HIV Fight and Ozempic’s Effect on Mental Health

Editors' Note

Since 2010, countries have made remarkable progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The global population accessing antiretroviral therapies grew from 7.7 million to almost 32 million, and new HIV infections declined by 40%. Despite those strides, millions still lack access to treatment, and in 2024, someone died of an HIV-related cause every minute.

Lenacapavir—a new twice-yearly injection that prevents infections in 100% of females and 96% of males—could transform that fight. To lead this week's edition—and commemorate World AIDS Day—Global Black Gay Men Connect's Executive Director Micheal Ighodaro outlines the duty countries have in supporting access to lenacapavir by accelerating regulatory reviews, updating national guidelines, investing in community models, and front-loading procurement.

This week in the United States, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a federal panel convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, met to discuss ingredients in pediatric vaccines. Over the summer, ACIP recommended against thimerosal, an ethyl mercury-based preservative that the United States permits only among a small number of influenza vaccines. But the recommendation could dangerously undermine confidence in low- and middle-income countries, where the proven-safe preservative is used regularly in multidose vials to ensure access for various vaccines. CFR Senior Fellow Prashant Yadav and Orin Levine from the Washington Research Foundation explain how cold-chain capacity and production costs hamper international access to single-dose alternatives.

TGH then tackles two conversations on obesity. First, journalist Rajeev Tyagi takes readers to India and explains how the health benefits of the country's recent decision to increase taxes on sodas could be undermined by reduced levies on other sugary beverages, including fruit juices. To cap off the edition, journalist Charissa Egger details the mental health risks and benefits of GLP-1 drugs, whose off-label prescriptions have become popular for weight loss. She warns that access to GLP-1 drugs is outpacing scientific research.

Until next week!—Nsikan Akpan, Managing Editor, and Caroline Kantis, Associate Editor