Key points
- UNAIDS says global HIV prevention efforts are facing their most severe setback in decades due to sharp funding cuts.
- HIV testing has declined by 22 per cent in high-burden countries, while condom funding has fallen by more than 90 per cent in some nations.
- UN officials warn that progress towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is under serious threat unless global support is revived.
Main story
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has warned that global HIV prevention efforts are experiencing their worst setback in decades as severe funding cuts undermine testing, treatment and prevention programmes across many low-income countries.
Speaking in New York during an assessment of the current state of the global HIV response, UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima, said recent reductions in international development assistance are threatening years of progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Byanyima revealed that HIV testing has declined by 22 per cent in high-burden settings, leaving millions unaware of their HIV status and increasing the risk of continued transmission.
She also disclosed that funding for condoms—one of the most effective and affordable HIV prevention tools—has dropped by more than 90 per cent in some countries.
According to her, prevention programmes are being weakened at a time when the global community should be accelerating the deployment of new prevention technologies, including long-acting HIV medicines.
“Prevention is being dismantled at the very moment we should be scaling innovations like new long-acting medicines,” Byanyima said.
She cited data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), showing that development finance declined by 23 per cent in 2025, marking the steepest drop ever recorded.
The UNAIDS chief noted that the funding crisis is having its greatest impact on high-burden and low-income countries that rely heavily on international support to sustain HIV programmes.
The issues
The warning comes amid growing concerns that decades of hard-won gains against HIV/AIDS could be reversed due to declining international assistance, rising economic pressures and weakening health systems.
Although significant progress has been achieved over the years, millions of people still lack access to essential HIV prevention and treatment services.
The reduction in funding has affected community-based organisations, testing programmes, prevention campaigns and healthcare delivery systems that form the backbone of the global HIV response.
Health experts warn that without adequate investments, new infections could rise while treatment interruptions may increase HIV-related illnesses and deaths.
What’s being said
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed acknowledged the remarkable achievements recorded since HIV/AIDS first emerged more than four decades ago.
“In the 45 years since the first case of AIDS was reported, the world has demonstrated uncommon resolve and solidarity,” she said.
Mohammed noted that global efforts have helped reduce AIDS-related deaths by 70 per cent since their peak in 2004 and enabled more than 32 million people worldwide to access life-saving antiretroviral treatment.
However, she warned that progress remains fragile.
According to UN data, 9.2 million people were still without HIV treatment at the end of 2024, while approximately 1.3 million people acquired HIV and 630,000 died from AIDS-related causes during the same period.
Mohammed stressed that funding cuts are directly affecting prevention initiatives and weakening community systems that play a crucial role in supporting vulnerable populations.
She further called for renewed commitment to protecting human rights and combating stigma, discrimination and shrinking civic space, which continue to hinder HIV response efforts globally.
What’s next
UN officials have identified five key priorities for revitalising the global HIV response:
Expanding access to HIV prevention, testing and treatment services.
Strengthening community-led responses and local leadership.
Protecting human rights and promoting equality.
Increasing sustainable financing for HIV programmes.
Rebuilding international cooperation and solidarity.
Member states are also being urged to adopt a new Political Declaration that will guide global HIV response efforts over the next five years and accelerate progress towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Bottom line
The UN’s latest warning highlights a critical turning point in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. While decades of international cooperation have saved millions of lives, steep funding cuts now threaten to erode those gains. Without renewed investment, stronger partnerships and sustained political commitment, the world risks falling behind in its goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
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