The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has reported a sharp decline in condom distribution in Nigeria, with a 55 % drop over the past year. This finding is part of the agency’s 2025 World AIDS Day report, *Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response*. The report warns that the global HIV response is experiencing its worst setback in decades, marked by widespread disruption to prevention, testing, and community‑led programmes.
According to UNAIDS, the number of people newly initiated on treatment has fallen in 13 countries. In sub‑Saharan Africa, 450,000 women have lost access to “mother mentors,” trusted community workers who connect them to care. The agency attributes these setbacks to abrupt funding cuts and a deteriorating human‑rights environment, which are affecting dozens of nations.
Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, emphasized the severity of the situation, stating that “the funding crisis has exposed the fragility of the progress we fought so hard to achieve.” She highlighted the human impact: babies missed for HIV screening, young women cut off from prevention support, and communities suddenly left without services and care. Even before the crisis, adolescent girls and young women were heavily affected, with 570 new HIV infections occurring daily among those aged 15 to 24. The dismantling of prevention programmes leaves these young women even more vulnerable, while community‑led organisations—the backbone of HIV outreach—are also under pressure. More than 60 % of women‑led organisations report having to suspend essential services.
UNAIDS modelling suggests that failure to restore prevention efforts could result in an additional 3.3 million new HIV infections between 2025 and 2030. The agency urges world leaders to reaffirm global solidarity and multilateralism, including commitments made at the recent G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa. It calls for maintaining and increasing HIV funding—especially for countries most dependent on external assistance—and for investing in innovation, such as affordable long‑acting prevention.
The decline in international assistance has been significant. OECD projections indicate that external health funding could fall by 30 % to 40 % in 2025 compared with 2023. The impact is immediate and severe, particularly in low‑ and middle‑income countries heavily affected by HIV. As the global community marks World AIDS Day, the UNAIDS report serves as a reminder of the need for sustained commitment and action to confront the HIV epidemic.
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