Global HIV prevention declined drastically after Trump aid cuts, U.N. finds
Global HIV prevention efforts have plummeted due to funding cuts and repressive laws, reversing decades of progress and risking a new epidemic. PrEP access dropped 38% in 2025, condom funding fell over 90% in some regions, and AIDS-related deaths in 2025 exceeded global targets. UNAIDS calls this the worst setback in decades, with fragile gains now at risk.
What changed
New data confirms a 38% drop in PrEP users across 62 countries and sharp declines in condom distribution, while UNAIDS labels the current moment 'perilous' and warns of a potential new epidemic.
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HIV prevention collapses after Trump-era aid cuts, U.N. warns
confidence 97%Global HIV prevention efforts have plummeted due to funding cuts and repressive laws, reversing decades of progress and risking a new epidemic. PrEP access dropped 38% in 2025, condom funding fell over 90% in some regions, and AIDS-related deaths in 2025 exceeded global targets. UNAIDS calls this the worst setback in decades, with fragile gains now at risk.
What's confirmed:
- The number of people receiving PrEP fell by 38% from 2024 to 2025, according to data from 62 countries.
- Funding for condoms dropped by more than 90% in some countries, disrupting prevention efforts.
- AIDS-related deaths in 2025 were more than double the global target set to end the pandemic.
- UNAIDS describes the current HIV response as facing its most serious setback in decades due to funding cuts and human rights backlash.
- The UN Secretary-General’s report warns that AIDS is not over and that fragile gains in prevention and treatment are at risk.
- External funding cuts, repressive laws, and under-investment in HIV prevention are threatening to reverse years of progress.
Still unconfirmed:
- A 'major threat' to global HIV testing and treatment has emerged, though specific metrics are not yet confirmed beyond broad warnings.
- The Trump administration’s aid cuts are directly cited as the primary driver of the decline, but comparative pre-2017 data is not provided in these reports.