Updated: October 2024

Author: Infectious Disease Program, Vermont Department of Health

This indicator, or population measure, is part of our Healthy Vermonters 2030 data set. Read more about how this data helps us understand and improve the well-being of people in Vermont on the Healthy Vermonters 2030 webpage.

Because this data is meant to show how the health of our state changes during the decade from 2020-2030, some indicators may have very few data points for now. Keep checking back to see the progress our public health system and partners are making.

We want to see an increase in the percent of people 13 and older with HIV who are virally suppressed to 100% by 2030.

The viral load of people living with HIV disease (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a measure of the amount of HIV that is in a sample of their blood. This can show how well HIV medicines are working, or how acute the disease is for them at a given time.

As of the most recent 2023 data, the majority (94%) of Vermonters living with HIV disease with evidence of a medical visit in the past 12 months, have a suppressed viral load. This indicates that the programs we support to assist people living with HIV (PLWH) in overcoming barriers to appropriate treatment, have reduced HIV viral loads.

Looking for more data?

• Look at previous data on viral suppression among people with an HIV diagnosis from our 2020 Scorecards.
• See the corresponding national Healthy People 2030 objective for increasing viral suppression among those with diagnosed HIV.

Individuals who remain in care and are able to stick to their HIV treatment plans are healthier than those who are not engaged. As individual viral loads are suppressed and sustained as undetectable, the community-wide viral load decreases, reducing the risk of new HIV infections.

Based on 2021 data people of color have a far higher rate of HIV infection based on 2018 census population estimates. Though people of color account for just over seven percent of Vermont’s general population, they account for 25.4% of the state’s PLWDHI population (n=185). HIV Stigma, poverty,racism and barriers to health care continue to drive these disparities nationwide.

By comparison 74.6% (n=543) of Vermont’s PLWDHI population are White non-Hispanic, which is much lower than their representation in the general population.

All HIV viral loads are reportable in Vermont. The health department will continue to monitor viral load suppression at least on a quarterly basis. The health department works closely with the University of Vermont Medical Center, Vermont's main provider for infectious disease, and other community service providers, to provide wrap around services to people living with HIV in an effort to help achieve and maintain viral load suppression.

Although reaching 100% for this indicator is ambitious, we are already achieving a high percent of people who are virally suppressed. Through collaboration and continued success of our programs we believe we can reach this target by 2030.

The data source is the Electronic HIV/AIDS Reporting System (eHARS). 

Learn more about HIV surveillance and data on our HIV Surveillance page.