The association Vers Paris Sans Sida has recently presented encouraging figures. Christophe Martet, its president and Élodie Aïna, its director, return to têtu· on the path traveled over the last ten years and on the latest steps to take to curb the epidemic.
For ten years, Vers Paris Sans Sida has been active in transforming access to HIV testing, care, and prevention in Paris and in Seine-Saint-Denis. The approach to its 2026 anniversary is an opportunity to take stock. What has truly changed, in a decade, in the fight against AIDS in the Île-de-France region? To answer this question, the association published a white paper and, on November 20 last, gathered associative and institutional actors during the day “Battant·es” where it unveiled encouraging figures, close to the targets set for 2030 by UNAIDS. At the heart of this assessment, the “3×95 cascade” constitutes an essential public health framework, not to eradicate HIV, but to control it, reduce new infections and guarantee equitable access to care. Concretely, this means achieving the following percentages: 95% of people living with HIV know their serostatus; 95% of those diagnosed are on antiretroviral therapy; 95% of people on therapy have an undetectable viral load (and therefore non-transmissible).
Christophe Martet, president of Vers Paris Sans Sida and Élodie Aïna, its director, return to têtu· on the journey in Paris and in Seine-Saint-Denis and analyze the obstacles, and what remains to be done to hope, one day, for the end of the epidemic.
- Vers Paris sans sida fête ses 10 ans en 2026. Quelles ont été les principales avancées dans la lutte contre le VIH au cours des dix dernières années ?
Élodie Aïna : The screening offering has also expanded significantly with rapid tests. Vers Paris Sans Sida is indeed behind the VIHTEST offering, which allows testing without a prescription, without an appointment, and free in all laboratories in France. And PrEP has entered into practice.
Christophe Martet : The care for people living with HIV has also improved. Progress is steady and treatments have been simplified, notably thanks to injectable forms.
- Vous avez annoncé des chiffres très encourageants lors de la journée “Battant·es” le 20 novembre. Quels sont-ils ?
C.M. : In Paris and in Seine-Saint-Denis, we are getting closer to the famous 3×95 cascade that allows us to curb the epidemic. In Paris, 95 % of people living with HIV know their serostatus; 93.9 % of those diagnosed are on treatment; 97.1 % of those treated have an undetectable viral load. In Seine-Saint-Denis, these figures are respectively 93.7 %, 95.4 % and 96 %. Once a person has an undetectable viral load, they no longer risk transmitting the virus, it’s the “i=i” (“undetectable= untransmittable”). With figures like these, we estimate that the epidemic dynamics are under control.
E.A : These figures are very encouraging, but one must be very careful because an epidemic is a flow. It is not because we almost have the 3×95 today that we will have them in two years.
- Qu’est-ce qui vous inquiète aujourd’hui ?
C.M.: If we have come this far, it is not only thanks to the effect of treatments, but also thanks to researchers and doctors deeply involved and to a strong network of associations. Yet associations are currently financially weakened both by budget cuts and by the rise in payroll tied to the Ségur bonus.
- Cette précarisation de la lutte associative et communautaire contre le sida dépasse-t-elle les questions financières ?
E.A. : Yes, the overall context is worrying: the rise of discrimination, questioning of the right to stay and threats to the state medical aid (AME), the rollback of transgender rights, and the precariousness of sex workers… All this weakens the fight against AIDS.
C.M.: I am also worried about the growing influence of masculinist discourses that weigh particularly on the emancipation and health of women.
- Les chiffres de la cascade, à Paris et en Seine-Saint-Denis, masquent-elles des inégalités ?
C.M.: We do not have data segmented by public, but there are obviously significant inequalities between an urban, integrated, and CSP+ audience and a more precarious audience financially and administratively. For example, there are large differences between a gay man living in Paris and a gay man who is migrant or foreign-born living under tougher conditions. These inequalities are one of the factors that should keep us vigilant even though we are very close to the goal.
- Dans le livre blanc que vous avez édité à l’occasion de la journée “Battant·es”, vous développez vingt-deux mesures destinées à mettre fin à l’épidémie d’ici à 2030. Sans rentrer dans les détails, y a-t-il un axe commun ?
E.A : It is crucial to go to the people concerned and the associations. Typically, community actions are very effective, hence the importance of associations that reach specific publics – gay men, bi and pansexuals, migrants, sex workers, etc. Acting on the ground allows us both to fight stigma and serophobia – by working especially on the message “i=i”, to improve prevention and testing, to inform about PrEP and to support people living with HIV. It is also important to highlight the importance of broader, yet essential measures to fight inequalities, such as creating and adapting safe and dignified housing solutions for first-generation migrants, trans people, and sex workers.
- Les études soulignent régulièrement le manque d’information des jeunes autour du VIH. Comment les concerner davantage ?
C.M : Always adopting an outreach approach, i.e., targeting the audiences where they are—on networks, at universities, in sports—Vers Paris Sans Sida is deploying content addressed to young LGBT+ on the Instagram account Dr Naked, which aims to adopt a positive, inclusive and humorous approach to sexuality in order to foster prevention reflexes as early as possible. We have also launched Santé Fièr·es focusing on the overall health of LGBTQI+ in the sports milieu. And we have in our plans a project aimed at students, because it is indeed a milieu where knowledge and information need to progress.
- L’objectif d’une fin de l’épidémie en 2030 est-il atteignable ?
C.M. : Yes, in any case, we believe so. We are close to the goal; this is not the time to give up. Our associations and organizations must have sustainable funding, and public authorities and local governments must continue to contribute strongly to reduce inequalities.
