By Bunmi Yekini
Geneva, Switzerland — As global health systems grapple with a worsening international funding crisis, UNAIDS is calling for urgent action to preserve hard-won gains in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The appeal comes as ministers of health, policymakers, and stakeholders gather this week at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) under the theme “One World for Health.”
In a strongly worded statement, UNAIDS warned that failure to dismantle barriers to healthcare, strengthen community-led responses, and unlock sustainable financing could reverse decades of progress and endanger millions of lives worldwide.
“Without immediate political and financial commitment, we risk undoing the incredible strides made in HIV prevention and treatment over the past 30 years,” the agency stated.
UNAIDS will use the week-long assembly to advocate for continued global solidarity and sustained investment in HIV programmes, especially those that center on equity, rights, and innovation. With the 2030 target for ending AIDS fast approaching, UNAIDS is emphasizing the need to scale up life-saving services, including access to long-acting injectable treatments that are nearly 100% effective in preventing HIV infections.
These innovative treatments, UNAIDS noted, could be a game-changer for many countries and help transition them to sustainable, locally-led HIV responses.
Additionally, UNAIDS is drawing on lessons from the global HIV response to push for more inclusive and rights-based pandemic preparedness frameworks. This includes prioritizing:
- Equal access to medical innovations
- Strengthening community health systems
- Upholding human rights protections
- Improving data equity across regions
“HIV has taught us that communities are not just beneficiaries, they are the beating heart of effective public health responses,” UNAIDS added.
The agency’s message at WHA78 is clear: tackling AIDS and pandemic threats requires not only scientific breakthroughs but strong political will, inclusive policies, and consistent financing.
As the world faces converging health, economic, and geopolitical challenges, UNAIDS warns that inaction now will cost far more, economically, socially, and in human lives, than acting decisively to end the AIDS epidemic once and for all.