 "Global HIV response in crisis due to severe funding collapse, warns UNAIDS")
The global fight against HIV (human immunodeficiency viruses) is facing its most serious setback in decades, according to a new World AIDS Day 2025 report from UNAIDS. The report titled 'Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response', warns that deep funding cuts and widespread service disruptions have put millions at greater risk, threatening to undo years of progress towards ending AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) by 2030.
"AIDS is not over—and this year’s disruption to the global response has exposed the fragility of the progress we have fought so hard to achieve," said Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS executive director in the report.
Funding cuts trigger a global crisis
The report highlights that abrupt reductions in international health funding in 2025 have severely destabilised HIV programmes across low- and middle-income countries. External assistance for HIV is projected to fall by 30 to 40 per cent compared with 2023 levels, largely due to the US temporarily halting its contributions earlier this year. The country previously accounted for nearly three-quarters of global HIV funding.
The immediate fallout has been severe. Clinics have scaled back services, community health workers have been laid off, and frontline prevention programmes, from male circumcision to gender-based violence support, have been curtailed or shut down entirely. Countries already struggling with limited health budgets have been unable to fill the gaps.
Prevention gaps widen, leaving millions vulnerable
UNAIDS warns that the drop in funding is directly affecting people’s access to life-saving HIV prevention tools. Some countries have seen dramatic declines in the uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
According to the report:
- New HIV treatment initiations have dropped across 13 countries.
- Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported stock-outs of test kits and key medicines.
- Preventive medicine distribution has plunged significantly, going down by 31 per cent in Uganda, 21 per cent in Viet Nam and 64 per cent in Burundi.
- Around 450,000 women in sub-Saharan Africa lost access to “mother mentors,” who connect them to care.
- Nigeria has seen a 55 per cent decline in condom distribution.
Women and girls have been disproportionately affected. More than 60 per cent of women-led HIV organisations have lost funding or suspended operations, stripping communities of essential services such as sexual health support, mental-health care and protection from gender-based violence.
If the current trend continues, the report warns that the world could see 3.3 million additional HIV infections between 2025 and 2030, placing global AIDS targets far out of reach.
Signs of resilience amid the setbacks
Despite the scale of the crisis, UNAIDS notes that some countries have maintained or increased domestic investments in HIV services. Community-led organisations, even under immense strain, continue to deliver support, demonstrating the crucial role of grassroots networks in sustaining progress.
"New agreements with generic pharmaceutical manufacturers will soon enable many developing countries to access long-acting injectable PrEP for just $40 per person per year," shared Byanyima.
Several governments and health partners have also reaffirmed their commitment to long-term HIV financing, recognising that predictable funding is essential for prevention, treatment and community-driven care.
UNAIDS will also introduce the Global AIDS Strategy 2026–2031, set to be formally adopted next year. It aims to reinvigorate commitment to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and sustain gains beyond 2030. The person-centred plan focuses on reducing inequalities, strengthening community leadership and integrating HIV services into national health systems.
Time for urgent global action
The setback comes after more than a decade of hard-won progress. By the end of 2024, new HIV infections had fallen by around 40 per cent, and AIDS-related deaths had dropped by 54 per cent since 2010. More than 31 million of the 40.8 million people living with HIV were on treatment.
“We can allow these shocks to undo decades of hard-won gains, or we can unite behind the shared vision of ending AIDS. Millions of lives depend on the choices we make today,” said Byanyima, urging leaders to restore funding and strengthen community-led responses.
As the world marks World AIDS Day on December 1, UNAIDS is urging governments to:
- Reaffirm multilateral commitments, including G20 pledges
- Restore and expand HIV financing
- Support affordable innovations like long-acting PrEP
- Strengthen community-led programmes and uphold human rights