World AIDS Day 2025: WHO warns of rising infections, shrinking funds

… As AIDS response hits critical point

By Chioma Obinna

The World Health Organisation, WHO, has warned that the global AIDS response is entering a dangerous phase, as declining funding, disrupted services and persistent stigma threaten to reverse decades of hard-won progress.

The warning came on Monday during the commemoration of World AIDS Day 2025, held under the theme Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response.

Speaking at a regional event in Cairo, WHO said the world is confronting a steep rise in new HIV infections alongside weakening commitments from governments and donors. Globally, an estimated 40.8 million people are living with HIV.

In the Eastern Mediterranean Region alone, 610,000 people are living with the virus, while annual new infections have nearly doubled in less than a decade — from 37,000 in 2016 to 72,000 in 2024.

Despite this surge, fewer than four in ten people living with HIV in the Region know their status, and less than a third are in treatment.

“The HIV response is at a critical moment,” WHO warned in its message.

“Funding dedicated to HIV is declining, HIV services are being disrupted, and community-led services which are essential for reaching marginalized groups are being deprioritised.”

WHO stressed that although HIV has become a chronic, treatable condition when properly managed, progress towards ending AIDS by 2030 is at risk unless countries dramatically increase domestic funding and strengthen service delivery.

The organisation noted that national HIV programmes continue to rely heavily on shrinking external donor funds, while domestic investment remains “woefully inadequate.”

In addition, stigma, discrimination, punitive legal environments and a lack of community-based services continue to obstruct prevention, testing and treatment.

“Without urgent action, the number of new HIV infections and deaths will rise, health systems will face greater strain and the goal of ending AIDS by 2030 will be missed,” WHO stated.

The agency called for a significant scale-up of political commitment, investment and innovation. It urged countries to integrate HIV services more effectively into national health systems, expand prevention and harm-reduction efforts, strengthen community engagement and adopt new technologies to improve access and care.

WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr. Hanan Balkhy, issued a direct appeal to governments.

“Today, I call on all governments to raise public awareness, increase domestic funding, integrate HIV into broader health services, adopt innovative approaches and strengthen prevention through digital health and AI,”

Balkhy said. “WHO will stand with our countries and communities to build a stronger, fairer AIDS response for everyone, everywhere in our Region.”

World AIDS Day 2025 marks yet another reminder that the battle against HIV is far from over and that renewed political will, investment and community leadership remain essential to ending AIDS as a public health threat.

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