Today, December 1, 2025, marks World AIDS Day, with the theme “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response.” This year’s commemoration highlights the devastating impact of funding cuts from international donors on the global AIDS response.
HIV prevention services are severely disrupted, and community-led services are being deprioritized, making it harder for marginalized populations to access HIV services.
The global AIDS response is facing a historic funding crisis, threatening decades of progress.
The international community must come together to bridge the financing gap and support countries in closing the remaining gaps in HIV prevention and treatment services.
Key Challenges:
– _Funding Cuts_: International funding cuts are severely impacting HIV prevention services and community-led initiatives.
– _Punitive Laws_: Laws criminalizing same-sex relationships, gender identity, and drug use are making HIV services inaccessible to marginalized populations.
– _Stigma and Discrimination_: Women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people face disproportionate barriers in accessing healthcare.
Call to Action:
– Sustained political leadership and international cooperation
– Human-rights-centred approaches to end AIDS by 2030
– Transformative solutions to improve access to HIV services and eliminate stigma and discrimination
As Ms. Byanyima emphasized, “In a time of crisis, the world must choose transformation over retreat.” Let’s work together to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
