WHO Chief: Don’t let AIDS fight stall

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has issued a strong call to action for world leaders to refocus their efforts on HIV prevention and strengthen global partnerships to finally end the AIDS epidemic.

Speaking before more than 3,000 scientists, policymakers, and advocates at the International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science in Kigali, Rwanda, Tedros emphasized that decades of progress in the fight against HIV are now at risk.

“For over two decades, sustained investments have led to groundbreaking advances in treatment, prevention, and care for millions of people. We cannot let that progress slip away,” he said.

Tedros warned that the sudden withdrawal of funding in some countries is already disrupting access to lifesaving HIV services, jeopardizing gains made over years of global effort. He stressed the need for collective resolve—uniting governments, researchers, civil society, and affected communities—to protect and build upon these achievements.

A major highlight of the conference was the WHO’s release of new guidelines endorsing injectable lenacapavir (LEN) as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option. The breakthrough drug, administered just twice a year, has proven highly effective in preventing HIV infection—especially among people who struggle with daily pills or face stigma and limited access to care.

“While an HIV vaccine remains elusive, lenacapavir is the next best thing: a long-acting antiretroviral shown in trials to prevent almost all HIV infections among those at risk,” Tedros noted.

The WHO said LEN represents a “transformative step” in protecting key and priority populations—including sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who inject drugs, incarcerated individuals, and adolescents—who continue to bear the brunt of the epidemic.

In 2024 alone, 1.3 million new HIV infections were recorded, underlining the urgency of reviving and expanding prevention efforts. At the end of the year, an estimated 40.8 million people were living with HIV worldwide, with 65% residing in the WHO African Region.

Tedros called on world leaders to fulfill their commitments to HIV funding, invest in research, and guard against the politicization of science.

“We have the tools to turn the corner on HIV,” he said. “Now we need the leadership and global solidarity to use them.”