Blog by Beatrice Oluoch, Soroptimist International Representative to the United Nations.
On 14 May 2026, the United Nations Headquarters in New York hosted a powerful multi-stakeholder hearing on HIV/AIDS. This gathering was a vivid reminder that the fight against AIDS is far from over, and that communities remain at the heart of the response.
📊 The Reality Check
Despite decades of progress, the numbers tell a sobering story:
- 32.1 million people are on treatment, but 8.8 million still lack access.
- 1.2 million new infections occurred in 2025, with 3,000 young women and girls infected weekly in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Infections are rising in Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia.
- 570,000 AIDS-related deaths were recorded in 2025—double the target set for that year.
Prevention efforts are faltering: PrEP uptake dropped by 40%, condom funding has been slashed by 90% in some countries, and HIV testing fell by nearly a quarter. Yet, there is hope in new tools like Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable hailed as the closest thing to a vaccine.
🗣 Civil Society Speaks Up
Civil society leaders came forward with a clear set of priorities for governments and donors:
- Recognise Community Leadership – Communities are not just beneficiaries; they are essential infrastructure in the HIV response.
- Secure Sustainable Financing – Funding must be protected and expanded, with responsible donor transitions.
- End Criminalisation and Discrimination – Laws must change to protect people living with HIV, sex workers, and drug users.
- Ensure Integrated Services – HIV care must be linked with sexual health, TB, mental health, and more.
- Scale Up Prevention – Expand combination prevention and equitable access to next-generation tools.
- Advance Equitable Access – Medicines, technology transfer, and vaccine research must be shared fairly.
- Protect HIV Services in Crises – Migrants and refugees must not be left behind.
- Reaffirm Multilateralism – UNAIDS must remain central, with stronger accountability mechanisms.
⚠️ The Challenge Ahead
The hearing underscored the risks of funding shortfalls, shifting donor priorities, and global health disruptions. Without urgent action, hard-won gains could be reversed, leaving vulnerable groups further behind.
✅ The Call to Action
The tools to end AIDS already exist. What’s missing is political will, sustained investment, and leadership rooted in communities and human rights. As the world prepares for the June High-Level Meeting, civil society’s voice must not only be heard—it must shape the commitments that will guide the global HIV response beyond 2025.
