The report said new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths fell to their lowest levels in more than three decades last year, although infections increased in 21 countries.
UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima delivers the opening address during the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 27 July 2026.
PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) — Global progress against HIV is at risk as international funding plunged last year, AIDS experts warned Monday, saying political support is failing despite major scientific advances.
The warning came as the International AIDS Conference opened in Rio de Janeiro amid sharp cuts in foreign aid led by the United States and followed by several European governments.
“Never has donor funding fallen so far, so fast, and those most vulnerable are already paying the price,” said Beatriz Grinsztejn, president of the International AIDS Society, warning of “real danger” for the global HIV response.
UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima said science has made ending AIDS achievable but political commitment has not kept pace.
“The end of AIDS is no longer limited by science. The scientists have done their part. It’s limited by inequality. Science has done its job, now politics must do its job.”
She also warned:
“When prevention disappears, infections rise. When treatment is interrupted, people die. We know how this story ends if we fail to act.”
According to a UNAIDS report released at the conference, international HIV funding for developing countries fell 18 percent in 2025, while domestic funding rose 4 percent and now accounts for nearly 60 percent of global HIV spending.
The report said new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths fell to their lowest levels in more than three decades last year, although infections increased in 21 countries.
The United Nations aims to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, but experts warned funding cuts could jeopardize that goal, particularly in low-income countries that rely heavily on international aid.
