<p>&nbsp;<strong>Background: </strong>Ethiopia started HIV case surveillance in 2019 to improve its prevention efforts and identify hotspot areas of new HIV infections. In 2023, an estimated 605,238 people were living with HIV in Ethiopia, with 7,428 new infections. The aim of this study was to characterize newly diagnosed HIV cases by socio-demographic, risk behavior, clinical characteristics, place and time in Gurage Zone, Central Ethiopia Region.</p>