UN warns over 3 million could contract HIV by decade's end amid funding shortfall
A UN report warns that over three million people risk contracting HIV by 2030 due to a sharp decline in global funding and unequal access to prevention.
Key Takeaways
AIThe latest report from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) warns that more than three million people could contract HIV by the end of this decade, as a result of a sharp decline in global funding and the risk of a resurgence of the epidemic amid unequal access to groundbreaking preventive medicines.
According to the United Nations Information Centre, the report stressed that the tools to contain the crisis are available, from innovative preventive medicines to community-led interventions, but noted that sustainable funding remains the missing link. The warning comes as the 26th International AIDS Conference opens in Rio de Janeiro from July 27 to 31.
The report explained that the widening funding gap is forcing countries to cut essential services and shut down community organizations, warning that the world is heading toward a resurgence of the epidemic unless urgent action is taken.
The report also noted that the world is witnessing a revolution in HIV prevention, with a new generation of medicines offering protection comparable to vaccines. However, it warned that high prices and patent restrictions controlled by pharmaceutical companies could prevent millions from accessing these drugs.
It highlighted Brazil, the host country of the conference, as an example of this contradiction. Despite contributing to clinical trials that supported the launch of the drug lenacapavir, Brazil was excluded from the list of countries authorized to produce low-cost generic versions. The long-acting drug is administered in two injections per year and prevents HIV infection in nearly 100% of cases, according to recent studies.
The UN report pointed out that although HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have dropped to their lowest levels in more than three decades, the global response remains fragile. New infections rose in three regions and 21 countries in 2025, while international funding to combat HIV fell by more than $1.5 billion between 2024 and 2025, an 18% decrease, reaching its lowest level in nearly 20 years.
It added that global development aid declined by 23% in 2025, marking the largest annual drop on record, with health programs—including AIDS initiatives—among the most affected.