As the world commemorates World AIDS Day, the United Nations has warned that global progress against HIV remains at risk especially due to funding cuts and unequal access to resources.
This comes as UNAIDS 2025 report showed widespread disruptions to prevention and treatment services amid a deepening funding crisis.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a televised address, today December 1st, 2025 acknowledged that the world has made undeniable advances in the fight against HIV.
According to Guterres, since 2010, new infections have dropped by 40 percent and AIDS-related deaths have fallen by more than half.
However, he cautioned that these gains are not shared equally with millions still lacking access to HIV services because of race, location and the stigma.
“Reduced resources are putting lives at risk and threatening hard-won gains,” Guterres noted.
His remarks come as UNAIDS, under this year’s theme “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response,” condemned the global community’s failure to secure adequate funding ahead of 2026 targets.
UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said the 2025 funding crisis has thrown the AIDS response into turmoil, disrupting HIV prevention and community-led services, especially for the most vulnerable groups.
According to Byanyima, the funding crisis has exposed the fragility of the progress we fought so hard to achieve.
“We cannot abandon them. We must overcome this disruption and transform the AIDS response,” she said.
According to UNAIDS, an estimated 40.8 million people were living with HIV globally in 2024, representing about 0.7 per cent of adults aged 15 to 49. The figures in the report show that prevalence remains significantly higher among key populations, including sex workers, gay and bisexual men, people who inject drugs, transgender people and prisoners.
Guterres said ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is an achievable goal only if countries recommit to rights-based approaches and embrace emerging treatment advancements.
