On World AIDS Day 2025, the World Health Organisation warned that the global fight against HIV is at a dangerous turning point as new infections rise while funding and political commitment weaken. The theme for this year, “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response,” highlights the need to rebuild and strengthen programmes that have been hit by crises and neglect.
WHO said an estimated 40.8 million people are currently living with HIV worldwide, with the Eastern Mediterranean Region alone accounting for about 610,000 of them. In that region, annual new infections have almost doubled in less than a decade, jumping from 37,000 in 2016 to 72,000 in 2024, yet fewer than four in ten people know their HIV status and less than a third are on treatment.
The organisation warned that dedicated HIV funding is declining, services are being disrupted and vital community led programmes that reach marginalised groups are being pushed aside. It stressed that although HIV can now be managed as a chronic condition with proper treatment, the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is at serious risk unless governments rapidly increase domestic investment and improve service delivery.
WHO noted that many national HIV programmes still depend heavily on external donors whose contributions are shrinking, while domestic spending remains far below what is needed. Stigma, discrimination, harsh laws and weak community based services continue to block people from seeking prevention, testing and treatment, further fuelling the epidemic.
The agency warned that without urgent action, both new HIV infections and AIDS related deaths will rise, placing extra strain on already stretched health systems. It called on countries to scale up political commitment, integrate HIV services more strongly into wider health care, expand prevention and harm reduction efforts, and use new technologies to improve access and quality of care.
WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Hanan Balkhy, urged governments to raise public awareness, boost domestic funding and adopt innovative, digital and AI driven approaches to prevention and treatment. She pledged that WHO will support countries and communities to build a stronger and fairer AIDS response across the region.
World AIDS Day 2025 serves as a reminder that the battle against HIV is far from over and that progress can quickly be reversed. WHO insists that only renewed political will, sustained funding and strong community leadership can keep the world on track to end AIDS as a public health threat.
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