UNAIDS 2025 Global Update reveals deepening global funding gaps, service disruptions in high-burden countries like Nigeria and Mozambique, and calls for urgent global solidarity to prevent millions of preventable deaths.
By Bunmi Yekini
UNAIDS has issued a stark warning that the global fight against HIV is at a critical crossroads, as massive funding shortfalls threaten to undo decades of progress and place millions of lives at risk.
In its 2025 Global AIDS Update, titled “AIDS, Crisis and the Power to Transform,” UNAIDS revealed that large-scale cuts by international donors in 2025 have triggered widespread disruptions to HIV services across low- and middle-income countries. The report, launched ahead of the upcoming International AIDS Society Conference in Kigali, paints a dual picture of peril and promise.
“This is not just a funding gap, it’s a ticking time bomb,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “We have seen services vanish overnight. Health workers have been sent home. And people, especially children and key populations, are being pushed out of care.”
Lives in Limbo: Nigeria and Mozambique Hit Hard
In Nigeria, the monthly initiation of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a crucial HIV prevention tool, has plummeted from 40,000 to just 6,000 people. Mozambique, meanwhile, saw disruptions affect over 30,000 health personnel due to abrupt funding withdrawals.
“If US-supported HIV services collapse completely, UNAIDS estimates an additional 6 million new HIV infections and 4 million AIDS-related deaths could occur between 2025 and 2029,” the report states.
Even before the crisis hit its peak, 9.2 million people living with HIV were not accessing life-saving treatment in 2024, including 620,000 children under the age of 15. These gaps contributed to 75,000 AIDS-related child deaths last year alone.
Prevention Under Siege
HIV prevention services have been disproportionately impacted. More than 60% of women-led HIV organizations surveyed in early 2025 reported losing funding or halting operations altogether.
Community-led initiatives, which are instrumental in reaching marginalized groups, are being defunded rapidly, despite having enabled over 2.5 million people to access PrEP and reach 2.3 million adolescent girls with prevention services under PEPFAR in 2024.
“In a time of crisis, the world must choose transformation over retreat,” said Ms. Byanyima. “Together, we can still end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, if we act with urgency, unity, and unwavering commitment.”
A Flicker of Hope Amid the Crisis
While the crisis looms large, the report highlighted inspiring examples of national leadership. South Africa now funds 77% of its AIDS response and is increasing its health budget annually. Twenty-five countries have also pledged to raise their domestic HIV funding by a collective 8% in 2026, equivalent to an additional USD 180 million.
Seven countries, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Rwanda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, have already met the 95-95-95 targets, indicating high levels of diagnosis, treatment, and viral suppression.
New biomedical innovations also offer hope. Long-acting injectable PrEP, such as Lenacapavir, has demonstrated near-total efficacy in trials, though access and affordability remain key obstacles.
“There is still time to transform this crisis into an opportunity,” Ms. Byanyima emphasized. “Countries are stepping up with domestic funding. Communities are showing what works. We now need global solidarity to match their courage and resilience.”
Call to Action
UNAIDS concludes with an urgent appeal: domestic efforts alone are insufficient. Global partners must close the funding gap, dismantle discriminatory legal frameworks, and invest in the community-driven solutions that have proven effective.
Since the beginning of the epidemic, 26.9 million deaths have been averted through HIV treatment, and 4.4 million children protected from infection. But without renewed investment and commitment, those gains hang in the balance.
“We must act now,” Byanyima urged. “Every dollar counts, not only for saving lives today but for securing a future free of AIDS for the next generation.”
The full report was released ahead of the International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference 2025, set to take place in Kigali, Rwanda from July 13–17.