Plunging international HIV budgets are raising serious concerns ahead of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV scheduled for June 2026, with experts warning that reduced funding could undermine global progress in ending AIDS by 2030.
Recent analysis shows that major donors, including the United States and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, are scaling back support for HIV programmes in many low- and middle-income countries. These two sources together previously accounted for the vast majority of international HIV financing, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
According to global health agencies, the world is already off track in meeting the 95-95-95 HIV targets, which aim for 95% of people living with HIV to know their status, 95% to receive antiretroviral treatment, and 95% of those treated to achieve viral suppression. By the end of 2024, millions of people remained without access to treatment, and new infections and AIDS-related deaths continued at high levels compared to global targets.
Aid reductions are expected to have wide-reaching consequences across HIV prevention and treatment systems. Reports indicate declines in HIV testing, reduced access to antiretroviral therapy for children, and a sharp drop in the use of preventive treatments such as pre-exposure prophylaxis. Health experts warn that these trends could reverse years of progress in controlling the epidemic.
In some regions, external donors finance the majority of HIV programmes, leaving national health systems heavily dependent on international support. Proposed reductions in US funding, along with shrinking contributions from other global financing mechanisms, are expected to place additional pressure on domestic health budgets already facing fiscal constraints.
Analysts also note that planned co-financing requirements may further strain national health spending, raising questions about whether governments can absorb the costs of essential HIV services without major disruptions.
Despite these challenges, new prevention technologies offer some optimism. Long-acting injectable treatments, such as lenacapavir, are emerging as promising tools that could significantly reduce HIV transmission if widely deployed. Early rollout programmes have begun in several countries, with expanded access and lower-cost generic versions expected in the coming years.
As the UN prepares for its upcoming high-level meeting, global health leaders are urging renewed investment and innovative financing strategies to close funding gaps and prevent setbacks in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
