The world faces the risk of a resurging HIV epidemic, driven primarily by an almost one-fifth drop in international funding last year. This was revealed in a new report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), presented at the International AIDS Conference in Brazil.
According to the organization’s data, international funding fell by 18% in 2025 to $7.3 billion, marking the lowest level in nearly two decades. The decline was largely caused by foreign aid cutbacks from Washington, as the US previously provided 75% of international HIV funding. Although domestic budgets partially offset the deficit, total resources still decreased by 6%.
The funding shortfall has hit prevention, testing, and community-based programs the hardest. The situation is particularly alarming in Sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for half of all new global infections.
UNAIDS estimates that the ongoing crisis threatens the progress achieved over the past 30 years, which had brought mortality and infection rates down to historical lows. The organization states that without restoring international solidarity, the global plan to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is on the verge of collapse. Last year, another 1.2 million people worldwide contracted HIV.
