Global HIV funding drops 25% in 2025

International donor funding for HIV programs fell by 25% in 2025, the steepest annual decline since global HIV financing began, according to reports by UNAIDS and KFF released at the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro. The reduction, driven almost entirely by a sharp decrease in United States funding due to delays and cancellations of global health projects, cut donor disbursements to US$6.2 billion from US$8.3 billion in 2024, the lowest level since 2007. Domestic HIV financing rose by 4% and now accounts for nearly 60% of total funding, but UNAIDS warned this is insufficient to offset the international shortfall. An estimated 1.2 million people acquired HIV in 2025 and 570,000 died from AIDS-related illnesses, leaving the world off track to end AIDS by 2030. New infections are rising in Brazil, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Madagascar, while Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini continue to make progress. UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima called for urgent debt restructuring and increased domestic investment, while WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that gains remain fragile without sustained commitment. The conference, organized by the International AIDS Society, runs from July 26 to 31 and has brought together about 7,000 participants.