GENEVA, 12 June 2026—A new report released today by UNAIDS shows that external funding cuts, a strong push back on human rights and under investment and under prioritization of HIV prevention and community services are threatening to reverse years of gains in the AIDS response.  

“There's no question that this is the most serious disruption in the HIV response since the world came together to fight this disease,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “The funding cuts, combined with the reduction in civic space and the further criminalization of marginalized populations have come together to create the biggest storm the HIV response has ever seen.” 

Dramatic cuts in aid that highly burdened, low-income countries depend on for their HIV response have had a devastating impact. Global development assistance from multiple countries fell by 23% in 2025—the sharpest drop on record—and HIV programmes have been hit hard.  

HIV testing programmes fell by 22% in high-burden settings between 2024 and 2025. Meaning people are unable to access treatment and the virus continuing to spread. Funding for condoms has been cut by more than 90% in some cases. PrEP (daily medicine to prevent HIV) uptake dropped sharply falling by 38% between 2024 and 2025 in 62 countries reporting to UNAIDS. 

HIV prevention is being dismantled at the very moment the world needs to take it to scale, especially with new, revolutionary, long-acting prevention innovations coming to market. Prevention was already underfunded at just 11% of total HIV spending in 2024—and that limited investment is now shrinking further with no signs that domestic funding will fill the gap.  

The HIV response has been the most successful story in global health over the last 25 years, AIDS-related deaths have been reduced by 56% from 1.3 million in 2010 to 570 000 in 2025. New infections have been reduced by 43% since 2010 to 1.2 million, and 78% of the 40.9 million people living with HIV are now on treatment (32.1 million).   

But this success is fragile—nearly 9 million people are not on treatment. At a time when external funding is reducing, treatment gains are extremely fragile. Western and central Africa, for example, is around 90% dependent on external funding for its HIV treatment programmes. Without sustained external financing and increased domestic resources, there is a serious risk of treatment interruptions—which will mean rising deaths and rising new infections. 

Progress remains highly uneven—some regions are improving, while others are seeing rising infections (eastern Europe and central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa and Latin America have seen rising new HIV infections since 2010). And every week, 3000 adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa acquire HIV—this is one of the clearest signs the world is failing to reach some of the most vulnerable populations.  

Community-led organizations, civil society, organizations led by people living with HIV, young people, sex worker organizations for example, are the most effective in delivering services to people living with and affected by HIV, yet they are not prioritized and are being pushed to the brink. They are on the front line to deliver HIV prevention, treatment and support services to up to 60% of their own communities including, men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who inject drugs and their sexual partners, yet funding has been drastically cut and there are no apparent increases from domestic resources. 

A recent community-led study of 79 community-led organizations across 47 countries and three continents (Asia Pacific, Latin America and Africa) showed a 50% drop in community support services for people living with HIV, an 82% reduction in services for sex workers and service reductions of 85% for men who have sex with men. Support services for survivors of gender-based violence are also declining. When communities lose funding, the entire response loses reach, trust and effectiveness. 

The report also shows a dangerous rollback of rights. Criminalization of marginalized populations is increasing for the first time since UNAIDS began tracking these trends. In 2025, two additional countries introduced criminalization related to same-sex sexual activity, and one country increased penalties for same-sex sexual activity in 2026. When people fear arrest or discrimination, they do not test, they do not seek care—allowing the epidemic to continue to grow. 

“Diseases spread fastest where human rights are weakest,” said Ms Byanyima. “The rollback on human rights and civic space is not accidental—it is organized, it is political, it has real public health consequences and dire HIV outcomes.” 

However, the report shows that there are windows of opportunity. The share of domestic resources for the HIV response increased from 28% in 2010 to 52% in 2024. Since January 2025, more than 54 countries have committed to increasing domestic financing. However, many countries are facing spiralling debt crises—28 African countries spend more on debt than on health. UNAIDS welcomes new donor commitments, for example from the US and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which offer an opportunity to work with countries on domestic co-investment and planned transitions. 

Integration of HIV also has potential for promising results. A quarter of 152 countries have integrated HIV into broader health strategies. For example, cervical cancer services have been included in national HIV guidelines in more than 80 countries.  

Innovation can further drive gains. By the end of March 2026, more than 6000 people were accessing the long-acting prevention medicine lenacapavir across five sub-Saharan African countries however, more effort is needed to reach the 20 million people UNAIDS estimates are in need of antiretroviral prevention medicines. 

In the coming days (22-23 June) the United Nations General Assembly will convene a High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS where countries will come together to adopt a new Political Declaration on HIV. This will be the final Political Declaration before the 2030 deadline to end AIDS as a public health threat. The new Political Declaration will include new 2030 targets from the Global AIDS Strategy. Overarching targets include reaching 40 million people with antiretroviral treatment by 2030, ensuring 20 million people have access to medicine to prevent HIV and ensuring that all people receive services free of stigma and discrimination.  

The 2030 goals remain achievable. Reaching 2030 targets could avert 3.2 million additional new infections. This requires continued unity and commitment, with countries in the lead, backed by global partners with communities at the centre.   

“We know how to end AIDS,” said Ms Byanyima, “The question now is political: will we invest, or will we retreat? If we follow the Global AIDS Strategy and UN Member States commit to adopting a strong Political Declaration to guide the response over the next five years, we can still end AIDS by 2030. However, if we fail to act, we risk reversing decades of hard-fought progress.” 

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.

NEW YORK/GENEVA, 4 June 2026—UNAIDS welcomes the release of the United Nations Secretary-General’s report on HIV/AIDS, issued ahead of the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS taking place in New York on 22–23 June 2026. In the report, UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivers a clear message that the world has made historic gains against HIV, but that the gains are increasingly at risk unless governments urgently recommit to the global AIDS response. 

“The global HIV response is at a critical juncture. Progress is real and measurable, but it is increasingly vulnerable to converging crises,” said Mr Guterres, citing declines in external funding, rising debt burdens, humanitarian emergencies and regression in human rights. 

The Secretary‑General highlights that 31.6 million of the 40.8 million people living with HIV were on treatment in 2024, the highest number ever recorded and that AIDS‑related deaths have fallen by 54% since 2010, reaching their lowest level since the early 1990s. 

The report outlines that countries in eastern and southern Africa—home to the majority of people living with HIV—have led the way. Seven countries in the region achieved the global 95‑95‑95 testing and treatment targets in 2024. 

“These achievements are a shining testament of the progress to end AIDS when political leadership, community action and sustained investment come together,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima. 

However, the report underscores that the world is far off track from the 2025 targets set in the 2021 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS. Some 9.2 million people still lack access to HIV treatment, around 630,000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2024—double the 2025 target of 250,000 and 1.3 million people became infected with HIV in 2024—3.5 times the 2025 target of 370,000 by 2025.  

The report outlines that progress remains uneven. New HIV infections have risen sharply in the Middle East and North Africa (up 94% since 2010) and have increased in Latin America as well as in eastern Europe and central Asia. 

The report also warns of the need to confront the structural inequities that undermine access to HIV services, close funding gaps and accelerate the expansion of HIV services in sustainable ways. Adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa continue to acquire HIV at three to four times the rate of their male peers.  

Key populations and their partners account for 74% of new infections outside sub-Saharan Africa. The Secretary-General warns in the report that declines in external financing for health are projected to drop by up to 40%, with HIV prevention and community-led services most at risk. In western and central Africa, 90% of treatment funding comes from external donors. Prevention programmes in sub-Saharan Africa rely on 80% external funding. 

“Without urgent action to close the funding gap, millions of lives are at stake,” said Ms Byanyima. “We cannot allow financial shocks, backlashes against human rights or political backsliding to reverse decades of progress.” 

The report lays out some of the major opportunities to accelerate progress. Long-acting HIV prevention tools, including injectable HIV prevention medicines, are becoming more accessible, with generic versions expected at US$ 40 per person per year, however progress on roll-out is slow.  

Community-led organizations, proven to improve testing, treatment adherence and viral suppression, must be protected, funded and integrated into country ownership plans. New national sustainability roadmaps, developed together with UNAIDS, in more than 30 countries are strengthening domestic ownership of HIV responses. 

The UN Secretary-General calls on Member States to endorse bold new 2030 HIV targets in the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS due to be adopted at the upcoming High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS. The targets will build on the 2025 commitments and aim to ensure continued progress towards the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and sustaining it into the future.  

“The pathway to end AIDS by 2030 exists and remains open,” concludes Mr Guterres. “But only if we act together.” 

UNAIDS urges all governments to use the upcoming High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS to recommit to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, to protect and expand funding for HIV prevention, treatment and community-led services particularly by increasing domestic resources for HIV, to remove punitive laws and policies that fuel stigma and block access to HIV services and to ensure equitable access to innovations, including long-acting HIV prevention and treatment.  

“Ending AIDS is a political choice,” said Ms Byanyima. “With courage, solidarity and investment, we can finish the job.” 

The report of the UN Secretary-General is an instrumental reference to inform negotiations by member states on the new Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS in the lead up to the High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS on 22-23 June 2026. More information including this report and the Civil Society Statement for the High-Level Meeting are available on the special UNAIDS web page United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS.

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.

KINSHASA/GENEVA, 29 May 2026 — UNAIDS is supporting efforts to maintain uninterrupted HIV treatment and care services as the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to evolve, with cases reported in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, prompting heightened surveillance and preparedness measures. 

National authorities, supported by Africa CDC, WHO and partners, are leading efforts to contain the outbreak, while neighboring countries are strengthening border surveillance, risk communication and response preparedness. 

Community partners are increasingly concerned about the impact of the Ebola outbreak on people living with HIV and the continuity of HIV services in affected areas. Reports from community organizations in eastern DRC indicate that fear of exposure to Ebola in health facilities and concerns around transmission are leading some people living with HIV to avoid community antiretroviral therapy (ART) distribution points and delay or miss clinic appointments. 

One worker who is part of the team distributing medicines at communities has described the working environment as extremely risky, with no personal protection measures in place. Angélique Machozi Lassi  from Point de Distribution Communautaire (PODI) said: “Things are tough for us. We have to continue providing medicines to the community, which puts us at risk because we don’t have personal protective equipment. We are not sufficiently protected. We need assistance,”. 

In the DRC, UNAIDS is participating in national coordination mechanisms and has contributed to the integration of HIV into the National Ebola Preparedness and Response Plan, launched on 21 May 2026. UNAIDS is also providing technical assistance to the National AIDS Control Program to develop an HIV Mitigation Plan aligned with the national response, including measures to protect people living with HIV and health professionals, ensure continuity of treatment, and strengthen surveillance and monitoring in the three provinces affected by Ebola. UNAIDS is contributing to resource mobilization efforts and plans to support data collection and monitoring tools for community-based surveillance in affected health zones. 

UNAIDS teams are also supporting preparedness and response efforts in neighbouring at-risk countries. In Uganda, UNAIDS is working with the Ministry of Health to conduct rapid assessments of essential services for HIV, in high-risk districts. In Angola and Burundi, UNAIDS is supporting preparedness in border areas by identifying priority actions to sustain HIV services and strengthening engagement with National AIDS Programmes, community partners and service delivery points in areas at risk of transmission. 

Across the region, UNAIDS is advocating for the inclusion of HIV community organizations in response efforts and for resources to reach community-level actors, strengthening outreach, risk communication and community-led monitoring to protect people living with HIV and other vulnerable populations. 

Experience from HIV and other health emergencies has shown that strong community engagement, trusted information and uninterrupted health services are essential to an effective outbreak response. UNAIDS will continue to monitor the situation alongside partners. 

There is an estimated number of 610 000 people living with HIV in the DRC.

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.

NEW YORK/GENEVA, 15 May 2026—More than 200 civil society representatives, people living with HIV and partners gathered in person and online at the United Nations in New York to urge renewed political leadership, sustainable financing and stronger support for communities at a one-day Multi-Stakeholder Hearing on HIV. This hearing comes amid growing concern that funding cuts and attacks on human rights are beginning to derail years of progress in the global HIV response.  

The hearing was held as part of preparations for the 2026 United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS (22-23 June 2026), where Member States will negotiate a new Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS to guide the global HIV response over the next five years. 

President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, who opened the hearing said, “As stakeholders, your efforts are needed now more than ever: to maintain pressure and to help ensure that the decisions taken here reach the communities you serve. In a world where innovations exist—and where resources remain abundant—there is no reason not to take this fight to the next level, together.”  

The event gave an opportunity for UN Member States to hear from civil society representatives and people living with HIV about their lived experiences, urgent priorities and current and emerging gaps in the HIV response. 

“The AIDS response has always been powered by courage. By resilience, by outrage, by refusal to accept the injustice that some lives matter more than others,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS in her opening remarks. “That same spirit is needed again now. This is the moment for the world to embrace the very real possibility of ending AIDS as a public health threat, once and for all people, everywhere, if we collectively choose to do what is necessary in the next five years.”  

Civil society representatives highlighted the need for continuity and sustainability of the HIV response over the long term. Many of the issues and concerns raised at the hearing were centred around the impact of the ongoing declines in international funding, how to encourage countries to increase domestic commitment and resources and how to support the critical work of community-led services, particularly by and for key populations most affected by HIV.  

“Last year’s disruptions tested all of us. Yet, this period of reform and repositioning offers a genuine opportunity for fresh leadership,” said Florence Riako Anam, Co-Executive Director of the Global Network of People Living with HIV. “The leadership of today must shape this transition from emergency response to sustainable systems; a necessary and proud evolution that recognises that people living with HIV will still be here in 2031 and beyond, with needs that matter then as they do now. Let us carry forward the same admirable spirit, that has defined the multilateral HIV response.”  

The Multi-Stakeholder Hearing also kicks off a period of intensified advocacy and education, including next week 13-19 May, during which communities and civil society will continue to shape their priorities for the negotiations on the High-Level Meeting Political Declaration. 

Ambassador Charles Masole, Permanent Representative of Botswana to the UN and Co-Facilitator of the High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS said, “Botswana’s HIV response, often recognized as a success story, was not the result of government action alone. It was driven—and continues to be driven—by activists and community leaders who refused to allow the government, or society at large, to look away from the human cost of AIDS. This partnership between government leadership and civil society advocacy has been, and remains, essential to sustaining progress not only in Botswana, but also around the world.” 

Ambassador David Bakradze, , Permanent Representative of Georgia to the UN and Co-Facilitator of the High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS said, “The message is clear: we can end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 but doing so will require the continued leadership and involvement of communities—and ensuring this work is supported and institutionalized. Communities are essential for success on a programmatic level; they are not a line item that can be cut out of budgets—they are critical infrastructure and essential to end AIDS.” 

The President of the General Assembly’s report from the Multi-Stakeholder Hearing, which will be issued in coming days, will be instrumental in informing consultations by member states on the new Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS in the lead up to the High-Level Meeting on 22-23 June 2026. This report and Civil Society Statement for the High-Level Meeting will be made available on the UNAIDS web page United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS.  

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.

GENEVA, 01 June 2026—Pursuant to Judgment No 5152 delivered by the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organization, UNAIDS was ordered to issue the present new press release related to a previous press release that was issued by UNAIDS on 14 September 2018. By virtue of the present press release, and pursuant to the Tribunal’s order, UNAIDS confirms that, on 28 February 2019, the Organization acknowledged that, further to a preliminary review, the allegations made against the complainant, to which its prior press release of 14 September 2018 referred, were found to be unsupported by prima facie evidence and not to merit any further investigation.

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.

GENEVA 6 May 2026—As the 13th International Francophone Conference on HIV (AFRAVIH) ends, the resounding call from UNAIDS and partners is to continue to move forward together to end AIDS by 2030.  

Addressing participants Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director said, “Ending AIDS has never been only a medical challenge it has always been shaped — and determined — by inequality. Our greatest breakthroughs came when we closed gaps in access to scientific innovation, to finance, and to rights driven by political leadership, global solidarity, and a powerful community-led movement.” 

Christine Katlama, President of AFRAVIH said, “In this challenging global context, with a real fear that HIV may rebound, we must share our scientific knowledge and maintain our solidarity.”  

With global aid falling by more than 23% last year, many countries are struggling to fill the gap. Professor Nicolas Meda from Burkina Faso voiced that African countries commit too little money to health and more on defence and debt repayments. Currently only three out of 54 African countries have achieved the commitments set out in the 2001 Abuja Declaration of spending 15% of their annual national budgets on health. He said that every US$ 1 spent on health has a return on investment of US$ 3-4.  

“African health sovereignty is a public health emergency and a political and existential obligation. It is up to us to build that future now,” he said. 

Throughout the conference, the Global AIDS Strategy 2026–2031 was cited as the critical  roadmap to ending AIDS. It outlines three strategic priorities: 1) Sustaining the response through country-led, resilient and future-ready systems, 2) Putting people at the centre, ensuring equity, dignity and access to services and 3) Empowering communities to lead and shape the HIV response.  

“The funding shock has been brutal but we are all invested in the fight against HIV, so we only have one choice: Move forward and not abandon our common goal of ending AIDS,” said Michel Kazatchkine, former UN Special envoy on HIV/AIDS. 

Many of the speakers in the conference were from the West and Central African region, which has made notable progress in recent years with a 55% reduction in new HIV infections across the region and a 60% decline in AIDS-related deaths between 2010 and 2024. However, the region also has much work to do accounting for 36% of all new HIV infections among children globally. In addition, one in three people living with HIV among key populations report having been refused access to health services and/or discrimination. And eight countries in the region demand parental consent for HIV testing of minors, adding barriers for young people to know their status. The region accounts for 19% of new global HIV infections among adolescents and young girls (15-24.)  

Nearly 1000 participants attended the four-day conference held at a critical moment, just ahead of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS. All Member States will come together on June 22,23 in New York to negotiate and adopt a new Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS - an integral part of efforts to end AIDS by 2030.

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.

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.

GENEVA, 17 February 2026—At the 39th African Union summit, UNAIDS urged African leaders to stay united, keep HIV high on the political agenda and move towards sustainable financing for health and development.

“AIDS is not over in Africa and continued African leadership is essential,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Now is the moment to raise ambition, safeguard our gains and ensure Africa drives the global agenda for a sustainable and sovereign health future.”

In 2024, 82% of people living with HIV in Africa were on lifesaving treatment compared with 45% just ten years earlier. New HIV infections were reduced by 71% since their peak in 1994 and AIDS-related deaths were reduced by 75% since the peak in 2004.

However, 26.5 million people were living with HIV in Africa in 2024, which represents 65% of global total—4.8 million of whom were still not accessing HIV treatment. There were 390 000 AIDS-related deaths in 2024, representing more than 60% of AIDS deaths globally.

The summit took place as Africa advances on health sovereignty and more equitable global cooperation through initiatives like the Accra Reset, the Lusaka agenda, and the African Union Roadmap to 2030. UNAIDS underscored the importance of anchoring HIV sustainability within this broader agenda to ensure resilient, community centred health systems across the continent.

African countries are facing serious financial pressure, with debt repayments often outstripping health spending, and revenue collection that has stalled below 16% of GDP for over a decade. Securing Africa’s health sovereignty will require action to relieve debt, fight tax dodging, increase revenue collection, and ensure access to affordable financing.

In 2024, 77% of funding for Africa’s HIV response came from external sources. Significant disruption to the financing landscape has left serious gaps, particularly for HIV prevention and community health systems, which are often the most reliant on external financing. This continues even as funding from Africa’s largest HIV donor, the United States, has partially returned.

UNAIDS’ approach to HIV sustainability places the focus on transforming the HIV response and accompanying countries on their transition journey—especially in convening partners, strengthening data and evidence, advancing integration processes and keeping communities at the table.

Twenty-two African countries, with support from UNAIDS and partners, are developing sustainability and transition plans to secure an increasingly self-reliant HIV response beyond 2030, planning for increased domestic investments and accelerated integration into national health systems. Eleven African countries have already reported increases in their national HIV budgets for 2026, demonstrating political commitment to long-term sustainability.

Multilateralism and global solidarity have been a cornerstone of progress in the response to HIV. The 2026 United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting (HLM) on HIV/AIDS offers an opportunity to secure ambitious global commitments for the next five years. A strong Common African Position will be critical to influencing the global agenda and ensuring African priorities are reflected in the 2026 Political Declaration on AIDS.

The Political Declaration will build on the Global AIDS Strategy 2026–2031, adopted by the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board in December 2025, which was shaped with input from governments, communities, regional bodies and the private sector.

For more information see “Africa united to End AIDS”

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.

GENEVA, 5 February 2026—UNAIDS welcomes the signing into law of a bipartisan US$ 5.88 billion spending package that reinforces the continued commitment and leadership of the United States in the global response to HIV.

US President Donald Trump signed the consolidated spending package into law on 3 February 2026 which allocates US$ 4.6 billion to bilateral HIV support through the America First Global Health Strategy, US$ 1.25 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and US$ 45 million to UNAIDS. 

“I thank President Trump and the US Congress for their continued commitment to HIV and global health,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “This US investment will provide life-saving support for millions of people in partner countries and help to ensure that the global HIV response remains efficient, data-driven and delivers results.”

The law advances the America First Global Health Strategy, which emphasizes the achievement of UNAIDS’ 95-95-95 targets as an integral part of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and accelerates the strategic shift towards country ownership and self-reliant HIV responses. For more than two decades, US investments have been the leading driver of the global HIV response, saving millions of lives and supporting countries' efforts to end their AIDS epidemics. 

UNAIDS is committed to leverage the funding to provide data and rigorous technical and strategic support to countries and communities most affected by HIV and for the implementation of the America First Global Health Strategy, working closely with the US Government, the Global Fund, partner governments and communities. 

Since the establishment of UNAIDS in 1996, the US Government has been a leading partner of UNAIDS and recently renewed its membership in the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board through to 2028.

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.

BRASILIA/GENEVA, 19 December 2025—The 57^th Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) meeting concluded in Brazil this week at a time of severe disruptions to the HIV response in many countries and to the work of the UNAIDS Joint Programme. In this context, the Board adopted a new Global AIDS Strategy 2026-2031 for the world, “United to End AIDS."

“Inaction is not an option. If we stall and fail to reach the targets laid out in the Strategy, 3.3 million more people will be newly infected by 2030. We cannot allow that,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

During the three-day meeting, board members approved establishing a PCB Working Group to develop a plan and timeline for UNAIDS’ transition and integration into the UN system. The group will ensure meaningful engagement of all relevant constituencies – civil society, governments, Cosponsors, and other partners in-line with the UN80 initiative. “One of our key tasks through the Global AIDS Strategy, the transition of UNAIDS, and UN80 more broadly is to better understand how we can effectively encourage the international community to re-engage,” said Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations. “Lives, dignity and hard-won progress are still on the line. UNAIDS has shown what collective action can achieve. This legacy must be protected.”

Throughout the meeting, PCB members and observers expressed deep appreciation for the critical role UNAIDS plays in the HIV response and UNAIDS staff. They spoke with conviction about what dedication means for governments and communities around the world.

“Brazil has reaffirmed, as a central government priority, the elimination of socially determined diseases, including the AIDS epidemic,” said Mariangela Simao, Brazil’s Vice Minister for Health Surveillance and Environment. “This agenda is grounded in our Unified Health System - universal, comprehensive and free of charge - which guarantees prevention, diagnosis and treatment across a country of continental scale and deep regional diversity,” she said.

“We cannot afford to backtrack when we made the promise to the most vulnerable,” said Erica Schouten, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations. "We also cannot walk away at the very moment that the HIV response needs global solidarity more than ever.”

A sentiment echoed by the North America NGO delegate. “The inclusion of NGO voices in UNAIDS is not symbolic, it is foundational to the strength and legitimacy of the Joint Programme,” said Shamin Mohamed Jr. “A premature sunset of international coordination and support is a set-back. If we do things too soon, people’s lives will end too soon as well.”

The board recognized that UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNODC, and WHO will be lead Cosponsors and ILO, UNESCO, UN Women, WFP and the World Bank will be affiliate Cosponsors.

The Strategy and the 2030 targets will inform the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS and the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS in 2026.

UNAIDS thanked its many donors for their steady support and 2025 contributions, including: Australia, Belgium/Flanders, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Monaco, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The meeting’s thematic session on long-acting retrovirals– both for prevention and treatment – demonstrated how they can accelerate progress toward ending AIDS. With political will, financing, community leadership and partnerships, such medicines can transform the response, close the access gaps, and reduce new infections dramatically.

The 57^th PCB was chaired by Brazil and going forward, the Board elected The Netherlands as Chair, the Philippines as Vice-Chair and Kenya as Rapporteur for 2026. The Report to the Board by the UNAIDS Executive Director, and the reports for each agenda item and the PCB’s decisions can be found here.The 58^th meeting of the PCB will take place in Geneva on the 30^th of June to the 2^nd of July 2026.

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.