An AIDS-free generation is within reach, but not guaranteed
Summary
Global efforts over decades have turned HIV/AIDS from a deadly disease into a manageable condition, with major progress in reducing infections and deaths, especially among children. However, recent funding cuts have disrupted treatment and prevention programs, risking a setback in this progress and increasing new infections and deaths in vulnerable regions.Key Facts
- AIDS-related deaths among children dropped by nearly 70% over the past decade.
- Half as many adolescent girls are now getting HIV compared to before.
- Twenty-two countries have eliminated or are close to eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.
- In 2025, funding cuts affected key HIV programs in heavily impacted regions like Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.
- Clinics faced medicine shortages and staff layoffs, causing systems built over decades to weaken quickly.
- Only about 55% of the 2.4 million children and adolescents living with HIV receive life-saving treatment.
- If prevention and treatment coverage falls by half, up to 3 million children could get HIV by 2040, and 1.8 million could die from AIDS.
- New treatments like lenacapavir offer long-lasting protection with two injections per year and can help overcome barriers such as stigma and access.
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