Abstract:
More than a fifth of people living with HIV in the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief-supported
programmes are older individuals, defined as aged 50 years and older, yet optimal person-centred models of care for
older adults with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, including screening and treatment for geriatric syndromes and common
comorbidities associated with ageing, remain undefined. This Position Paper explores the disproportionate burden of
comorbidities and geriatric syndromes faced by older adults with HIV, with a special focus on women. We seek to
motivate global interest in improving quality of life for older people with HIV by presenting available research and
identifying research gaps for common geriatric syndromes, including frailty and cognitive decline, and multimorbidity
among older people with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. We share two successful models of holistic care for older people
with HIV that are ongoing in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Lastly, we provide policy, research, and implementation
considerations to best serve this growing population
