World risks HIV resurgence as funding falls 18pc, UNAIDS says

The world faces a potential resurgence of the HIV epidemic as global funding has plummeted by nearly a fifth, UNAIDS warned Monday. The UN body fighting AIDS highlighted that the $7.3 billion allocated in 2025 marks the lowest funding level in almost two decades.

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The international community has entered a period of profound political and financial upheaval that threatens decades of hard-won gains against HIV.

This sharp decline threatens to undo decades of hard-won progress, which had driven down new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths to their lowest point in over 30 years. UNAIDS stated that "the current fragility of the HIV response puts these gains at risk unless global solidarity is restored and inequalities are addressed."

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Without renewed commitment and action, the world risks a resurgence of the HIV epidemic.

The report, released at the start of an International AIDS conference in Brazil, noted that the global goal to end AIDS by 2030 is off track. Reduced funding, coupled with other crises like Ebola, is hampering efforts. While domestic spending increased in some areas, it could not fully compensate for the drop in international aid. Some of the most significant cuts to prevention programs occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, a region heavily impacted by new infections. National data from Cameroon, Nigeria, and Zambia revealed a more than 50% decrease in people receiving pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

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The current fragility of the HIV response puts these gains at risk unless global solidarity is restored and inequalities are addressed.