The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has raised alarm over a severe global funding crisis that threatens to reverse decades of progress in the fight against AIDS.
In its 2025 Global AIDS Update titled “AIDS, Crisis and the Power to Transform”, launched on Wednesday, UNAIDS warned that abrupt and large-scale funding cuts from international donors are disrupting HIV services in the most affected countries, endangering millions of lives.
The report revealed that 25 of 60 low- and middle-income countries have pledged to increase domestic HIV funding in 2026, totaling approximately $180 million—an 8% rise. However, UNAIDS stressed that this remains insufficient to offset the scale of international funding withdrawals.
“These are not just budget cuts; they are a ticking time bomb,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima. “Health workers are being sent home, services are vanishing overnight, and vulnerable populations are being pushed out of care.”
The impact has already been felt. In Mozambique, more than 30,000 health workers were affected. In Nigeria, monthly PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) initiations dropped from 4,000–6,000 people. UNAIDS estimates that a full collapse of U.S.-supported HIV services could result in 6 million new infections and 4 million AIDS-related deaths between 2025 and 2029.
The report also underscored the worsening challenges facing women and marginalized groups. Over 60% of women-led HIV organizations surveyed in early 2025 reported losing funding or suspending operations. Legal crackdowns targeting LGBTQ+ individuals and drug users in countries like Uganda, Mali, and Trinidad and Tobago are further driving vulnerable populations away from care.
Despite these setbacks, UNAIDS pointed to signs of resilience. Seven African countries—Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Rwanda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—have achieved the 95-95-95 targets: 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of them are on treatment, and 95% of those on treatment are virally suppressed.
South Africa was also praised for funding 77% of its AIDS response and pledging a 3.3% annual increase in funding for HIV and tuberculosis over the next three years.
The report highlighted the promise of new prevention tools like long-acting injectable PrEP, including Lenacapavir, which has shown near-complete efficacy in trials—though access and affordability remain barriers.
With the 2025 Scientific AIDS Conference set to begin in Kigali, Rwanda on July 13, UNAIDS called for urgent international solidarity.
“Domestic efforts are commendable, but they cannot carry the global burden alone,” said Byanyima. “We must match the courage of communities with the commitment of global leaders. The world can still end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030—if we act now.”
