GENEVA, 17 February 2026—At the 39th African Union summit, UNAIDS urged African leaders to stay united, keep HIV high on the political agenda and move towards sustainable financing for health and development.

“AIDS is not over in Africa and continued African leadership is essential,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Now is the moment to raise ambition, safeguard our gains and ensure Africa drives the global agenda for a sustainable and sovereign health future.”

In 2024, 82% of people living with HIV in Africa were on lifesaving treatment compared with 45% just ten years earlier. New HIV infections were reduced by 71% since their peak in 1994 and AIDS-related deaths were reduced by 75% since the peak in 2004.

However, 26.5 million people were living with HIV in Africa in 2024, which represents 65% of global total—4.8 million of whom were still not accessing HIV treatment. There were 390 000 AIDS-related deaths in 2024, representing more than 60% of AIDS deaths globally.

The summit took place as Africa advances on health sovereignty and more equitable global cooperation through initiatives like the Accra Reset, the Lusaka agenda, and the African Union Roadmap to 2030. UNAIDS underscored the importance of anchoring HIV sustainability within this broader agenda to ensure resilient, community centred health systems across the continent.

African countries are facing serious financial pressure, with debt repayments often outstripping health spending, and revenue collection that has stalled below 16% of GDP for over a decade. Securing Africa’s health sovereignty will require action to relieve debt, fight tax dodging, increase revenue collection, and ensure access to affordable financing.

In 2024, 77% of funding for Africa’s HIV response came from external sources. Significant disruption to the financing landscape has left serious gaps, particularly for HIV prevention and community health systems, which are often the most reliant on external financing. This continues even as funding from Africa’s largest HIV donor, the United States, has partially returned.

UNAIDS’ approach to HIV sustainability places the focus on transforming the HIV response and accompanying countries on their transition journey—especially in convening partners, strengthening data and evidence, advancing integration processes and keeping communities at the table.

Twenty-two African countries, with support from UNAIDS and partners, are developing sustainability and transition plans to secure an increasingly self-reliant HIV response beyond 2030, planning for increased domestic investments and accelerated integration into national health systems. Eleven African countries have already reported increases in their national HIV budgets for 2026, demonstrating political commitment to long-term sustainability.

Multilateralism and global solidarity have been a cornerstone of progress in the response to HIV. The 2026 United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting (HLM) on HIV/AIDS offers an opportunity to secure ambitious global commitments for the next five years. A strong Common African Position will be critical to influencing the global agenda and ensuring African priorities are reflected in the 2026 Political Declaration on AIDS.

The Political Declaration will build on the Global AIDS Strategy 2026–2031, adopted by the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board in December 2025, which was shaped with input from governments, communities, regional bodies and the private sector.

For more information see “Africa united to End AIDS”

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

“We’re closely watching developments in both infection rates and funding in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The challenges are great,” said Anne von Fallois, CEO of Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung (DAS), during a meeting with Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director, in Bonn. “We’re united on the importance of the region—especially Ukraine.”

This is a critical moment for the AIDS response in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA). As global attention shifts to new crises, there is growing concern that the region—where both new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are still rising—could be left behind.

Since 2010, AIDS-related deaths in EECA have increased by 34%. Only about half of people living with HIV are on treatment, and viral suppression—at just 42%—is the lowest globally. More than half of new HIV diagnoses occur late, when risks of transmission and mortality are significantly higher.

War, displacement, economic hardship, and migration may be contributing to a more challenging HIV response, with potential implications beyond national borders, including the European Union. While the full impact is still emerging, these pressures could place additional demands on health systems and underscore the importance of sustained, coordinated action.

Access to services remains fragile in all countries of the region. While antiretroviral therapy is officially free in most countries, too many people are still unable to access it. Prevention coverage is even lower: opioid agonist maintenance therapy reaches only a fraction of those who need it, and pre-exposure prophylaxis remains limited. Key populations account for most new infections, yet continue to face stigma, discrimination, and legal barriers rooted in outdated policies.

“We know what works: community-led services are essential to reach people who are otherwise excluded, and partnership with communities is vital in these challenging times,” said Eamonn Murphy. “With continued UNAIDS engagement in the region, sustained, coordinated investment—alongside government commitment and community engagement—is essential to protect progress and prevent further loss of life.”

Through its partnership with UNAIDS, Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung supports HIV work in Germany and internationally, advancing stigma reduction, prevention, social support, and assistance for vulnerable groups.

As funding uncertainties grow, partners stressed the need to strengthen joint resource mobilization and encourage more active engagement from the European Union. Emergency measures can only go so far. The investments required are modest, but the stakes—for the region and for Europe as a whole—could not be higher.

GENEVA, 5 February 2026—UNAIDS welcomes the signing into law of a bipartisan US$ 5.88 billion spending package that reinforces the continued commitment and leadership of the United States in the global response to HIV.

US President Donald Trump signed the consolidated spending package into law on 3 February 2026 which allocates US$ 4.6 billion to bilateral HIV support through the America First Global Health Strategy, US$ 1.25 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and US$ 45 million to UNAIDS. 

“I thank President Trump and the US Congress for their continued commitment to HIV and global health,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “This US investment will provide life-saving support for millions of people in partner countries and help to ensure that the global HIV response remains efficient, data-driven and delivers results.”

The law advances the America First Global Health Strategy, which emphasizes the achievement of UNAIDS’ 95-95-95 targets as an integral part of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and accelerates the strategic shift towards country ownership and self-reliant HIV responses. For more than two decades, US investments have been the leading driver of the global HIV response, saving millions of lives and supporting countries' efforts to end their AIDS epidemics. 

UNAIDS is committed to leverage the funding to provide data and rigorous technical and strategic support to countries and communities most affected by HIV and for the implementation of the America First Global Health Strategy, working closely with the US Government, the Global Fund, partner governments and communities. 

Since the establishment of UNAIDS in 1996, the US Government has been a leading partner of UNAIDS and recently renewed its membership in the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board through to 2028.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.