On July 10, UNAIDS launched its 2025 Global AIDS Update, titled “AIDS, Crisis and the Power to Transform.” The report issues a stark warning: a historic funding crisis now threatens to reverse decades of hard-won progress in the global HIV response, unless countries, communities, and partners act decisively to reshape how HIV programmes are financed and delivered.

A Crisis Unfolding

The report documents how large-scale and abrupt reductions in international funding are deeply impacting countries most affected by HIV. Health systems are being destabilized, frontline health workers sidelined, and essential services including HIV prevention and treatment disrupted. While 2024 had shown hopeful progress, 2025 has brought a new wave of setbacks.

In Mozambique alone, over 30,000 healthcare workers have been affected. Nigeria has seen a drastic drop in monthly PrEP initiations from 40,000 to just 6,000. If HIV services supported by major donors like the U.S. collapse entirely, UNAIDS warns of a possible 6 million new HIV infections and 4 million AIDS-related deaths between 2025 and 2029.

Ms. Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director, emphasized: “This is not just a funding gap it’s a ticking time bomb. We have seen services vanish overnight. Health workers have been sent home. And people, especially children and key populations, are being pushed out of care.”

As of 2024, 9.2 million people living with HIV were still not accessing treatment. This includes 620,000 children under the age of 14 contributing to 75,000 AIDS-related deaths among children last year. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 61% of the 630,000 AIDS-related deaths globally in 2024. Alarmingly, over 210,000 adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 acquired HIV in the same year an average of 570 new infections each day.

Community-led services are also under threat. More than 60% of women-led HIV organizations surveyed in early 2025 reported losing funding or suspending services. Programmes funded through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which reached 2.3 million adolescent girls and young women with prevention services in 2024 have now been halted in many areas.

Signs of Hope and Resilience

Despite these challenges, some countries and communities are stepping up. South Africa is now funding 77% of its AIDS response and has committed to increasing its health and HIV budgets over the next three years. Investments in infrastructure, medicine distribution, and data systems are underway.

Moreover, seven African countries; Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Rwanda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have already achieved the 95-95-95 targets: 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those are on treatment, and 95% of those on treatment are virally suppressed. These achievements demonstrate that with the right investment and leadership, success is possible and scalable.

Breakthroughs in prevention are also emerging. Long-acting injectable PrEP, such as Lenacapavir, has shown near-complete efficacy in trials. However, affordability and equitable access remain major obstacles to widespread implementation.

“There is still time to transform this crisis into an opportunity,” said Ms. Byanyima. “Countries are stepping up with domestic funding. Communities are showing what works. We now need global solidarity to match their courage and resilience.”

A Call for a Fast-Track Faith-Based Response

UNAIDS continues to highlight the critical role of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in the global response to HIV. Their presence in communities, ability to address stigma, and commitment to human dignity make them invaluable partners.

In 2025, faith leaders worldwide were called upon to take decisive action: reduce stigma, increase access to services, defend human rights, and ensure treatment for children living with HIV. UNAIDS is calling for a Fast-Track faith-based response that accelerates past commitments, deepens collaboration, and scales up impact toward ending AIDS by 2030.

Faith-based initiatives are uniquely positioned to challenge societal norms that perpetuate discrimination and to replace them with compassion, inclusion, and justice.

On World AIDS Day 2024, Fr. José Minaku, SJ, President of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM), echoed this urgent call to action. In his statement, he noted:

“While the Church and Jesuits specifically have walked alongside those affected and infected by HIV, we recognize that the journey is far from over. Alarmingly, we are witnessing a resurgence of challenges that threaten to undermine progress, creating new vulnerabilities, marginalization, and exclusion. We must build frameworks that respect divine dignity and affirm the sacredness of every life. Our communities, too, must be empowered to demand compassion, justice, and accountability from their leaders in a shared mission to uplift, include, and honor every individual.”

At AJAN, we stand in full solidarity with this call to action. Guided by our core values; Life, Compassion, Human Dignity, Cura Personalis, Magis, and Accountability, we remain deeply committed to walking with those most affected by HIV, especially children, women, and marginalized communities. Rooted in our mission to promote “life to the full” and inspired by Catholic Social Teaching, we strive to uphold the dignity of every person through education, empowerment, and accompaniment. We believe that, the just path doesn’t follow the loud voices of the world, it chooses compassion, honors dignity, and walks humbly with those most in need.

The Path Forward

The 2025 Global AIDS Update report concludes with a clear message: domestic efforts are critical, but global solidarity is essential. Bridging the funding gap, removing legal and social barriers, and empowering communities must be prioritized.

Every dollar invested in the HIV response not only saves lives it strengthens health systems and contributes to sustainable development. Since the beginning of the epidemic, 26.9 million deaths have been averted through access to treatment, and 4.4 million children have been protected from HIV through vertical transmission prevention.

At AJAN, we remain steadfast in our mission to promote health, dignity, and justice for all—especially those affected by HIV and AIDS. But we cannot do it alone. You can help us make a difference. By supporting our work, you become part of a shared vision: empowered individuals, families, and communities striving for an HIV- and AIDS-free society and the fullness of life promised in John 10:10. Join us in bringing hope, healing, and transformation. Donate today and be the change someone is praying for.

By, Dennis Owuoche

AJAN Communications Officer

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Reference: UNAIDS (2025). Global AIDS Update: AIDS, Crisis and the Power to Transform. https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2025/2025-global-aids-update