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).