A ‘perilous moment’ for the response to HIV warns UNAIDS
UNAIDS warns of a 'perilous moment' in the global HIV response due to funding cuts, reduced human rights protections, and underinvestment in prevention, risking reversals in progress after decades of gains. HIV testing programs dropped 22% in high-burden settings, PrEP uptake fell 38% in 62 countries, and community-led organizations face an 82% reduction in services for sex workers since 2024.
A new report by UNAIDS highlights a severe crisis in the global HIV response, driven by funding cuts, shrinking civic space, and the criminalization of marginalized groups. External funding for HIV programs fell by 23% in 2025—the largest decline on record—disrupting services in low-income countries heavily reliant on aid. HIV testing programs in high-burden regions declined by 22% between 2024 and 2025, while condom funding was slashed by over 90% in some areas. PrEP uptake dropped 38% in 62 countries reporting to UNAIDS, undermining prevention efforts just as long-acting HIV prevention tools emerge. Despite progress—HIV-related deaths fell 56% from 1.3 million in 2010 to 570,000 in 2025, and new infections declined 43%—gains are fragile. Nearly 9 million people remain untreated, and regions like Western and Central Africa depend 90% on external funding for HIV programs. Without sustained financing, treatment interruptions could surge, reversing decades of work. Meanwhile, infections are rising in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America, with 3,000 adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa acquiring HIV weekly. Community-led organizations, critical for reaching marginalized populations like sex workers and men who have sex with men, face drastic cuts. A study of 79 groups across 47 countries found an 82% reduction in services for sex workers and an 85% drop in other support services. UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima called the situation the most serious disruption in the HIV response since global efforts began, warning that funding gaps and rights rollbacks threaten to dismantle prevention progress. The report emphasizes that prevention was already underfunded at just 11% of total HIV spending in 2024, with no signs of domestic funding filling the shortfall. Without urgent action, the risk of treatment interruptions and rising infections could undo years of global health achievements. UNAIDS urges sustained external financing and increased domestic resources to avert a crisis in HIV care and prevention.
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