HIV prevention and treatment services faltering, warns UNAIDS The sudden funding decline is hitting the HIV response “like a shock wave,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS , adding that “the world is pulling back just when we need to push forward.” Many countries are unprepared to sustain programmes previously supported by international funding, Ms. Byanyima told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York, noting that prevention and support services are already collapsing in several countries. Today, 9.3 million people living with HIV are still waiting to begin treatment, while there were 1.3 million new infections worldwide in 2024. ‘Real consequences’ Ms. Byanyima warned that the funding crisis is having “real consequences” across developing countries as treatment expansion stalls and community organizations – often the backbone of the HIV response – are forced to scale back or close entirely.…