UNAIDS, in collaboration with Avenir Health, has launched a new online tool to support countries to estimate the financial resources required to achieve the objectives set in their national AIDS plans. 

At a time of increasing pressure on global HIV financing, the tool provides countries with a practical, data-driven platform to inform strategic planning, funding applications, and to foster dialogue on domestic resource mobilization.

The Resource Needs estimation Tool enables users to estimate the financial resources required to reach coverage targets across key HIV programmes, including HIV prevention, testing, treatment, co-morbidities, health systems strengthening, and programme management. Covering 30 expenditure categories, the model draws on a database for 118 low- and middle-income countries, incorporating population data, current coverage levels, and unit costs.

By default, the model applies 2030 coverage targets, in line with the 2030 Global Targets to end AIDS, while allowing countries to fully customize inputs to reflect national strategies and priorities.". Outputs of the tool include annual estimates of people reached, financial needs by intervention and year, and requirements for 13 key HIV related health products/commodities.

The tool is already being used in several countries to support HIV costing exercises and Global Fund funding requests,including Mozambique, Eswatini, Viet Nam, Thailand, Kenya, and South Sudan.

Country ownership 

While the tool provides a robust analytical framework and curated datasets, countries are encouraged to validate all inputs and interpret results in line with local realities. This ensures that estimates remain grounded in national contexts and can be effectively used to inform policy and financing decisions. UNAIDS can provide targeted technical support, upon request and based on country context and needs, to facilitate use of the tool and interpretation of results.

By equipping countries with accessible and customizable tools, UNAIDS and Avenir Health aim to support stronger, evidence-based planning and more informed decision-making on HIV investments. 

“As countries face increasing financing pressures and the need to optimize limited HIV resources, country-led and adaptable approaches to resource needs estimation are becoming increasingly important to support evidence-based prioritization, sustainability planning, and progress towards ending AIDS,” noted Jaime Atienza, UNAIDS Director, Sustainability Practice.

The launch of the Resource Needs Estimation Tool complements UNAIDS’ broader work to strengthen HIV financing analytics, including the HIV Financial Dashboard, which offers detailed data on HIV spending and funding trends.

“The tool helps countries under constrained financing environments to generate strategic costing evidence to strengthen financing decisions. Planned enhancements will expand sub-national costing, customization of community-led service delivery modalities, and integration of societal enablers into costing analyses,” added Deepak Mattur, UNAIDS Senior Advisor on Resource Tracking and Health Products Monitoring and technical focal point for the Resource Needs Estimation Tool.