GENEVA, 15 April 2026—UNAIDS commends the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and the United States for their commitment to further increase access to long-acting HIV prevention medication. In a recent statement they pledged to increase their initial ambition of reaching 2 million with lenacapavir, twice yearly injections which prevent HIV, to reach 3 million people by 2028. 

UNAIDS encourages all countries to continue this momentum to scale up HIV prevention efforts -at least 20 million people need to be accessing antiretroviral-based prevention by 2030 to end AIDS as a public health threat as outlined in the Global AIDS Strategy 2026-2031 and global targets for 2030. 

“This expanded commitment is an important step forward, and we applaud the Global Fund and the United States for accelerating access to lenacapavir,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “However, to end AIDS as a public health threat, we must urgently go further—by enabling large-scale generic manufacturing, especially on the African continent, lowering prices through transparent, equitable pricing frameworks that enable widespread uptake in low- and middle-income countries.”

Lenacapavir has shown to be at least 96% effective in preventing HIV. To date deliveries have reached Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Many are already implementing the roll out to people at higher risk of HIV including adolescent girls and young women, pregnant women, and key populations including men who have sex with men and sex workers. UNAIDS continues to support countries and communities on the ground by helping to align policies to ensure access, affordability, and availability of this and other innovations.

UNAIDS urges immediate acceleration of technology transfer, clear production timelines, and expansion of licensing to additional manufacturers—particularly in Africa—to ensure sustainable and affordable supply at scale.

“Communities have waited too long for prevention options that meet their needs. Lenacapavir can be transformative—but only if it is accessible, affordable and available everywhere. We call on all partners to work together to break down barriers, speed up generic production, and invest in manufacturing, particularly in Africa which remains the epicentre of the epidemic, so that no one is left behind.”

UNAIDS’ new Global AIDS Strategy 2026-2031 lays out a path for collective action over the next five years and beyond. It aims to ensure that by 2030: 40 million people living with HIV are on HIV treatment and are virally suppressed; 20 million people are accessing antiretroviral-based HIV prevention options; and all people can access discrimination-free HIV-related services.

UNAIDS stresses that reaching 20 million people with antiretroviral-based HIV prevention options, including lenacapavir, by 2030 is critical to reduce new HIV infections, which remain unacceptably high at an estimated 1.3 million per year globally. 

This moment represents a historic opportunity to transform HIV prevention. UNAIDS calls on governments, donors, manufacturers and communities to act with urgency and accountability to ensure lenacapavir reaches everyone who needs it, no matter where they live. 

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

UNAIDS is deeply saddened by the death of Stephen Lewis, an early and vocal champion of the AIDS response who passed away on 31 March 2026. UNAIDS expresses its sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

Stephen Lewis was a strong supporter of the AIDS response and showed great leadership and courage in speaking out against HIV-related stigma and discrimination in the early days of the epidemic.

Stephen Lewis’s work with the United Nations spanned more than two decades. He was the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa from June 2001 until the end of 2006 and later established the Stephen Lewis Foundation in 2003, which remains focused on community organizations working on HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. He also served as a Commissioner on the Global Commission on HIV & the Law. 

He was bold, compassionate and tireless in confronting HIV-related stigma and discrimination from the early days of the epidemic and his contribution to the AIDS response will not be forgotten. 

Stephen Lewis devoted his life to advocating and drawing attention to the AIDS crisis and calling on leaders and the public to respond. 

His leadership championed the welfare of people living with HIV and supported communities to be meaningfully involved in the HIV response. It is thanks to leaders such as Stephen Lewis that today more than 31 million people globally have access to HIV treatment. 

What Stephen Lewis said in April of 2004 still holds true today “Surely the increasingly realistic prospect of prolonging and saving the lives of millions of men, women and children will galvanize the international community and open the vaults of compassion. If ever there was a test of human solidarity, that test is now.” 

UNAIDS pays tribute to Mr Lewis's leadership and mourns the loss of a remarkable colleague and advocate. His legacy will live on through the work he advanced and the lives he impacted around the world.

GENEVA, 31 March 2026—The HIV response is at a tipping point. If HIV prevention is deprioritized and defunded, gains made in stopping new HIV infections could be reversed. 

With 1.3 million new HIV infections per year in both 2023 and 2024, the world remains off-track to end the pandemic. Yet, global HIV prevention targets are achievable. At the end of 2024, five countries—Lesotho, Malawi, Nepal, Rwanda and Zimbabwe—had achieved a 75% reduction in new HIV infections compared to 2010. New targets for 2030, co-developed with countries and communities, have informed the new Global AIDS Strategy 2026-2031.

The Global HIV Prevention Coalition (GPC), which was established in 2017 to strengthen and sustain political and financial commitment to primary prevention, has used these targets and the Strategy to develop the HIV Prevention 2030 Global Access Framework.

“Our vision is that everyone in need has access to HIV prevention options. This is achievable if investments in prevention are robust and sustained, if countries ensure effective use of resources, and if programmes are evidence-based and grounded in human rights with communities at the centre,” said Angeli Achrekar, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS.

The Access Framework outlines how, by 2030, countries can ensure that 90% of people in need of prevention services have access and that 90% of people living with HIV are virally suppressed. This, in combination, would lead to a 90% reduction in new HIV infections globally.

To attain these targets in a time of limited resources, the 2030 Prevention Access Framework defines five Ps for prioritization: put the People in greatest need at the centre; Place—focus on the highest-burden locations; the right Platforms—for service delivery; the right Package—of prevention options to offer people choices; Price—cost effectiveness to ensure sustained country implementation.

Ensuring access to HIV prevention now means shifting towards country-led and domestically funded programmes, finding local solutions for sustained impact.

Topline targets for prevention options were translated into key numeric milestones for 2030: 40 million people living with HIV globally on HIV treatment; 20 million people accessing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) options to prevent HIV; 20 billion condoms, and at least 20% of domestic HIV financing dedicated to prevention. 

The future of the HIV response will be determined by whether we can deliver combination prevention at scale, rooted in human rights and dignity, driven by governments, communities and young people, and integrated within sexual and reproductive health. UNFPA is committed to meeting the needs of all population groups, particularly those of adolescent girls and young women. We will continue working with partners to address critical gaps to ensure no one is left behind." said Pio Smith Deputy Executive Director ai UNFPA 

HIV prevention innovations have further expanded choice for populations at risk. New long-acting options for prevention such as lenacapavir—twice yearly injections to prevent HIV—are becoming available. Trusted access platforms such as stigma-free health services integrating HIV prevention, community outreach, pharmacies, youth-innovative virtual and telehealth platforms, supported by generative AI, are critical in facilitating access to prevention options.

“The cost of inaction is detrimental. Innovations, including new and emerging long-acting prevention options, especially lenacapavir, have added to the array of prevention choices. Now, speed, scale and equity are still needed to translate exciting science into public health impact,” said Mitchell Warren, GPC Co-chair and Executive Director of AVAC. “History will judge us harshly if we as a global community fail to meet this scientific moment.”

Despite global commitments, primary prevention investments remain far below required levels particularly in many low- and middle-income countries. Governments need to commit at least one fifth of domestic HIV funding to HIV prevention programmes and ensure prevention commodities such as anti-retroviral-based prevention, condoms, needles and syringes and voluntary medical male circumcision for HIV prevention should be available and accessible to users at affordable prices.

“A fit-for-purpose global prevention mechanism must reinforce country leadership, safeguard and optimize prevention financing, and align partners and resources to country priorities and systems,, which will reduce fragmentation and strengthen prioritization and timely decision making so that available resources are fully leveraged for impact,” said Dr. Nduku Kilonzo, GPC co-chair, Secretary of the HIV Multisector Leadership Forum 

UNAIDS, UNFPA, GPC and partners will continue to steer progress through a global campaign to sustain momentum and reach the 2030 prevention targets.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.