On World AIDS Day, we reaffirm our collective commitment to ending HIV in Africa—a challenge that remains, yet one we are capable of overcoming.
This year’s theme, Overcoming Disruption: Transforming the AIDS Response, calls on us to rethink our approach amid an unprecedented HIV funding crisis that threatens decades of progress. These setbacks make it more urgent than ever to safeguard gains and protect lives.
At the same time, this moment presents an opportunity to build a stronger, more self-reliant, and integrated response. Across Africa, countries are embedding HIV services into primary health care, ensuring inclusive, people-centered care. Sustaining progress requires protecting the infrastructure for testing, treatment, and prevention, while accelerating access to innovative solutions.
New tools, such as long-acting HIV prevention medicines like Lenacapavir, which require only two injections per year, have the potential to transform lives. WHO commends South Africa for being the first African country to license Lenacapavir for HIV prevention, and we hope other nations will follow.
Equally critical is maintaining trust in science. Misinformation can be as harmful as service disruptions. We must defend scientific freedom, promote evidence-based policies, and continue supporting community and civil society leadership. During recent crises, youth networks across multiple countries leveraged WhatsApp and local radio to provide reliable information and encourage adherence to HIV treatment—partnerships that sustain progress.
Over the past decade, remarkable gains have been achieved in the African Region. New HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have each fallen by more than half since 2010. Currently, 21.7 million people living with HIV receive lifesaving antiretroviral therapy. Community-led testing, differentiated care, and integration with primary health services are transforming care delivery.
Botswana’s attainment of Gold Tier status for eliminating mother-to-child transmission illustrates what sustained commitment can achieve.
Yet progress remains fragile. We must act now to protect achievements and accelerate what is still unfinished.
I urge all Member States and partners to:
- Transform the HIV response into sustainable, locally-led systems through increased domestic investment and innovative financing.
- Rebuild momentum by strengthening health systems to provide reliable, equitable HIV and broader health services for all.
- Restore trust by addressing stigma, misinformation, and discrimination, while defending human rights for marginalized groups.
- Confront inequality by prioritizing services for key populations, adolescent girls, and young women, ensuring no one is left behind.
WHO stands ready to support countries and communities in transforming HIV services into resilient, inclusive, and sustainable systems, especially during these challenging times.
As the African proverb reminds us: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Together, we carry the hope, strength, and determination to go the distance and end AIDS in Africa.
