Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response
The above Report released by UNAIDS at the beginning of the 16 Days of Action shows that a funding crisis caused by international funding reductions and a lack of global solidarity has thrown the AIDS response into turmoil with massive disruptions to HIV prevention and community led services, particularly for the most vulnerable often living in the poorest countries which may be heavily effected by HIV.
Prevention Services have been hardest hit with many community led organisations having to suspend essential services or even close due to lack of funding.
Restrictions on civil society—particularly those working with key populations globally and young women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa—are further disrupting essential access to HIV services.
UNAIDS has issued a call to action
Today, 40.8 million people are living with HIV worldwide, 1.3 million new infections occurred in 2024, and 9.2 million people are still not accessing treatment.
This World AIDS Day, UNAIDS is calling on global leaders to:
- Reaffirm global solidarity, multilateralism and the collective commitment to fight and end AIDS together.
- This is the bedrock of our progress to date. The health and debt commitments in the Leaders Declaration at the G20 Summit and the Global Fund replenishment last weekend reinforce signs of hope.
- Maintain funding for the response
- International assistance must be sustained for countries that need it most to ensure a gradual, secure and sustainable transition to domestic financing.
- Domestic financing cannot grow fast enough to fill the gap, so continued global support is critical.
- Commitments to urgent and meaningful debt restructuring per the G20 Leaders Declaration are essential to release resources currently tied up in debt repayments.
- Invest in innovation, including affordable long-acting prevention and treatment options.
- Expand and accelerate the roll out of lenacapavir to move quickly to reach 20 million people
- License more companies to produce to scale to reduce the costs further
- Uphold human rights. Empower communities.
- We call on all partners to defend the right to health as a fundamental human right. This means standing firm for bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights, ensuring that every person has the freedom and dignity to make decisions about their own body and health.
- And we must strengthen community-led action, because communities are at the heart of every successful response. Their voices, leadership, and lived experience drive progress and accountability.
After decades of struggle, the global HIV response was within reach of its goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The world has come too far—and achieved too much—to allow progress to unravel at this moment of historic opportunity.
“This is our moment to choose,” Ms. Byanyima the Executive Director of UNAIDS urged as she launched the report “We can allow these shocks to undo decades of hard-won gains, or we can unite behind the shared vision of ending AIDS. Millions of lives depend on the choices we make today.”
Let us pray
O God of compassion and justice,
On this World AIDS Day, we come before you with heavy hearts, aware of the disruptions and challenges faced by millions living with HIV.
We remember the findings of the UNAIDS report, which reveal a funding crisis and a lack of global solidarity that threaten the progress we have made.
We pray for those most vulnerable—especially in the poorest countries—whose access to prevention and community-led services has been disrupted.
We ask for your guidance and strength for all leaders and communities:
- May global solidarity and collective commitment be renewed, so that together we can fight and end AIDS.
- May funding for the AIDS response be maintained and increased, ensuring that no one is left behind.
- May innovation flourish, bringing affordable and effective prevention and treatment to all who need it.
- May human rights be upheld, and communities empowered to lead the way in this response.
We pray for the 40.8 million people living with HIV worldwide, for the 1.3 million newly infected this year, and for the 9.2 million still waiting for treatment. Let us not allow setbacks to undo decades of hard-won gains. Help us unite behind the vision of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Grant us wisdom to make choices that save lives, courage to defend the dignity and rights of every person and hope to persevere until justice and healing prevail.
May it be so Amen.
