By Our Reporter
The global fight against HIV is facing a catastrophic setback following major funding cuts from key international donors, Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, has warned.
In an emotional appeal delivered this week, Byanyima revealed that the withdrawal of financial support—particularly from the United States and several European nations—has plunged the global HIV response into a deep crisis, with devastating consequences for millions of patients worldwide.
“At the start of this year, we were full of hope,” she said. “We had a breakthrough drug, lenacapavir, offering near-total protection against HIV with just two injections a year.”
But that sense of optimism has rapidly turned to despair. With donor funds drying up, clinics in vulnerable regions have begun to shut their doors. Critical prevention programs have been suspended, and access to lifesaving antiretroviral medications is shrinking fast.
“People are losing access to care,” Byanyima warned. “And people are dying.”
The timing of these cuts is especially painful. The global health community had made significant strides toward ending AIDS as a public health threat, a goal once seen as within reach. Experts now fear those hard-won gains could be reversed, leading to rising infection rates and preventable deaths.
UNAIDS estimates that millions of people could fall out of the treatment cycle if immediate funding is not restored.
Byanyima is now calling for an urgent rethink of how the world finances responses to shared health threats. She is championing a new approach known as Global Public Investment (GPI)—a model based on collective responsibility and sustained, equitable contributions from all countries.
“This is a historic opportunity we cannot afford to miss,” she said. “If we don’t act now, the dream of ending AIDS could slip through our fingers.”
The call to action has resonated across the global health community, with advocates urging governments to recommit to funding HIV programs and to adopt financing models that reflect the interconnected nature of modern health challenges.
As the crisis deepens, the future of millions depends not just on medical breakthroughs—but on the political will to see them delivered.