Journal of the International AIDS Society · Published 2026-07-01 · DOI 10.1002/jia2.70169
Jessica L. Castilho, Stephany N. Duda, Bryan E. Shepherd, Timothy R. Sterling, Anna K. Person, Peter F. Rebeiro, William C. Wester, John R. Koethe, Jesse Carlson, Rachael A. Pellegrino, Karu Jayathilake, Fernanda Maruri, Hilary Vansell Riley, Amanda Garcia De Matos Amaral, Marina Cruvinel Figueiredo, Paridhi Ranadive, Megan Turner, Gustavo Amorim, Vickie Myers, Heather Burgess, Shengxin Tu, Liping Du, Danni Shi, Zhouhui Liang, Kaixing Liu, Chao Yan, Beatriz Grinsztejn, Valdilea G. Veloso, Paula M. Luz, Sandra Wagner Cardoso, Ruth Friedman, Ronaldo I. Moreira, Monica Derrico Pedrosa, Hugo Perazzo, Rodrigo Moreira, Maria Pia Diniz Ribeiro, Mario Sergio Pereira, Emilia Moreira Jalil, Thiago Silva Torres, Carolina Coutinho, Mayara Secco Torres Silva, Flaviana Pavan Victoriano, Jorge Pinto, Flavia Ferreira, Marcelle Maia, Victoria Bocardi, Julia Caporali, Flavia Fonseca, Mateus Westin, Regina Célia de Menezes Succi, Daisy Maria Machado, Aida de Fátima Barbosa Gouvêa, Fabiana Bononi do Carmo, Claudia P. Cortes, Maria Fernanda Rodriguez, Gabriel Castillo‐Rozas, Fabio Paredes, Georgina Estadella, Jean William Pape, Vanessa Rouzier, Adias Marcelin, Jodany Bernadin, Stanley Cadet, Marco Tulio Luque, Diana Varela, Magda Chavez, Ada Mailhot, Eduardo Gotuzzo, Fernando Mejia, Gabriela Carriquiry, Claudia Nuñez Mochizaki, Brenda Crabtree Ramirez, Juan Sierra Madero, Yanink Caro Vega, Álvaro López Iñiguez, Ana Fernanda Ramos Menchelli, Paola Alarcón Murra, Geovanna Coello, Guadalupe Muñuzuri Nájera, Rodrigo Ville Benavides, Jessica Mejía, Távata Bejarano, Nancy Sierra, Valeria Fink, Florencia Cahn, Ines Aristegui, Maria Ines Figueroa, Nicolas Doudtchitzky, Javier Mariani, Mariela Ceschel, Gissella Mernies, Agustin Nava, Carina Cesar, Pedro Cahn, Caribbean, Central and South America network for HIV Epidemiology (CCASAnet) of the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA)
ABSTRACT Introduction Latin America is a key region in advancing efforts to end the HIV epidemic globally. Despite breakthroughs in HIV treatment and prevention in the last 20 years, as well as region‐wide improvements in health infrastructure and policies, there has been a 13% increase in new acquisitions in Latin America from 2010 to 2024. The Caribbean, Central and South America network for HIV epidemiology (CCASAnet), established in 2006, is one of seven regions in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA). CCASAnet contributes substantially to regional science and the development of national and region‐wide policies. Here, we describe data sources and operational methodologies employed by CCASAnet, as well as the current state of the cohort. Methods CCASAnet data are collected using standardized data elements, including demographic information, HIV disease history, laboratory data, antiretroviral regimens, co‐infections and comorbidities. Data collection has expanded to include prospective data such as substance use, antiretroviral therapy adherence, geriatric syndromes and tuberculosis treatment. All clinical sites retain ownership of their data, and CCASAnet data contribute as able to global IeDEA‐level projects. Robust data quality initiatives and statistical methods have strengthened the cohort. Results CCASAnet consists of nine clinics across seven countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico and Peru). Over 61,000 adults and children living with HIV have contributed observational data through December 2023. While CD4 at enrolment has remained largely unchanged, time to antiretroviral therapy initiation has decreased, retention in care has improved and the proportion with undetectable HIV RNA has dramatically increased. Co‐infections and AIDS‐defining malignancies remain a cause of morbidity and mortality, but non‐communicable diseases have also increased. Overall mortality trends in the region have improved over time, with some notable exceptions. Conclusions Underscoring the importance of maintaining longitudinal collaborations and data collection, CCASAnet remains the largest source of high‐quality data for HIV epidemiology in Latin America and serves as an important evidence base for informing global and regional policy and stakeholder decisions related to the HIV epidemic.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
Read the article at the publisher →
Castilho, J., Duda, S., Shepherd, B., et al. (2026). The Caribbean, Central and South America Network for HIV Epidemiology: 20 Years of HIV Research in the Region. Journal of the International AIDS Society. https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.70169