Trends in newly diagnosed HIV cases at Assiut university hospital, Egypt

Egypt has one of the fastest-growing rates of HIV infections globally, with an annual increase of 25–30%. This study describes the five-year trend of newly diagnosed HIV cases at Assiut University Hospital (AUH), the largest hospital in Upper Egypt, which serves approximately 5 million residents. A retrospective descriptive study was conducted using data from AUH's Communicable Diseases Surveillance Unit for all newly diagnosed HIV cases from 2019 to 2023. Over the study period, 355 HIV cases were diagnosed, with annual percentage increases of 41.9% (2019–2020), 29.5% (2020–2021), 49.1% (2021–2022), and 60.5% (2022–2023). In 2023, 138 cases accounted for 43.1% of all cases in Assiut Governorate. Among the newly diagnosed, 79% were aged 20–39 years, 95.7% were male, 51.8% were single, and 42.3% were married. High-risk groups included injection drug users (25.4%) and blood donors (10.9%). Only 6% returned for second visits. Additionally, 78% of cases were co-infected with HCV, and 62.2% of wives of married male patients were not tested. Among Assiut residents, 48.9% initiated treatment, while stigma and fear of disclosure likely contributed to gaps in follow-up care. The increasing trend in HIV diagnoses and related mortality highlights significant challenges in Egypt’s HIV response. University hospitals, such as AUH, play a pivotal role in surveillance and care, particularly for patients with co-infections. Addressing stigma, enhancing follow-up systems, and prioritizing the testing of spouses are critical to improving outcomes and achieving national HIV control targets.