Global efforts to combat HIV/AIDS are facing a critical challenge as international funding has fallen sharply, prompting health experts to warn that decades of progress could be at risk. The warning was issued at the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, where researchers, policymakers and public health officials gathered to discuss the future of the global HIV response. Experts said scientific advances have transformed HIV into a manageable condition for millions, but declining financial support now threatens to undermine those gains.
Speaking at the conference, International AIDS Society (IAS) President Beatriz Grinsztejn said donor funding had experienced its steepest and fastest decline in recent years, with the most vulnerable communities already feeling the impact. UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said the world was witnessing one of the most promising periods in HIV research, with highly effective prevention medicines now available. However, she stressed that scientific progress alone would not be sufficient unless governments matched it with sustained political commitment and financial investment.
According to a new UNAIDS report released during the conference, international financing for HIV programmes in developing countries declined by 18 percent in 2025. The report noted that funding from European donor nations has dropped by 58 percent since 2011, while the United States continues to account for approximately 74 percent of government donor funding despite significant foreign aid reductions introduced after President Donald Trump's return to office. Health experts warned that interruptions to prevention and treatment programmes could lead to rising infections and increased AIDS-related deaths.
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The report highlighted that developing countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa with high HIV prevalence, are increasing domestic investment in HIV programmes. Domestic funding rose by four percent in 2025 and now accounts for nearly 60 percent of the global HIV response. Nevertheless, UNAIDS said many low-income countries still rely on international assistance for as much as 90 percent of their HIV programmes, making them particularly vulnerable to reductions in donor support.
Despite funding concerns, the report recorded encouraging progress in the fight against HIV. New HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths fell to their lowest levels in more than three decades during 2025. However, new HIV cases increased in 21 countries, underscoring the uneven nature of global progress. The United Nations continues to aim for ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, but experts cautioned that achieving this target will require sustained investment in testing, prevention and treatment services.
Conference discussions also focused on improving access to new HIV medicines. Ahead of the event, pharmaceutical company Merck announced plans to license manufacturers in Africa and India to produce lower-cost generic versions of its once-monthly antiretroviral drug alimatravir once approved. Meanwhile, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) urged Gilead Sciences to expand access to its long-acting HIV prevention drug lenacapavir, arguing that its high cost and limited licensing arrangements continue to restrict availability in many countries where HIV remains a major public health challenge.
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