9 million still miss HIV treatment – WHO

…Says funding cuts, inequalities threaten bid to end HIV, hepatitis, STIs by 2030 By Chioma Obinna The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that nearly nine million people living with HIV are still without life-saving treatment, raising concerns that funding cuts, humanitarian crises and widening inequalities could derail global efforts to end HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as public health threats by 2030. The warning is contained in WHO’s latest assessment of the Global Health Sector Strategies (GHSS) on HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STIs 2022–2030, released yesterday at the 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) in Rio de Janeiro, ahead of World Hepatitis Day. While the report highlights significant gains in the global response over the past decade, it cautions that progress remains fragile and could be reversed without sustained investment, stronger health systems and greater community engagement.

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the report presents two contrasting realities, one of remarkable progress driven by science and investment, and another of growing threats posed by declining funding and persistent inequalities. It demonstrates what is possible when countries invest in health, communities and science. But it also shows how quickly progress can be undone by funding disruptions, humanitarian emergencies and persistent inequalities.

“Over the next five years, we must build integrated, resilient health systems that reach those furthest behind.” According to the report, about 32 million people were receiving HIV treatment by the end of 2025, while new HIV infections have fallen by 42 per cent and AIDS-related deaths by 57 per cent since 2010. Despite these gains, WHO said nine million people still lack access to treatment, with new infections continuing to rise in several regions, particularly among key populations, including sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, transgender persons and people in prisons. The report also expressed concern that reductions in international donor funding in 2025 disrupted HIV prevention programmes in several countries, limiting access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Although some governments have stepped in to sustain services, preliminary data show that PrEP use has declined in a number of …