Ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on African leaders to redefine the response, as disruptions in the HIV funding landscape threaten decades of progress made in combating the disease.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has also urged African leaders to reaffirm global solidarity and multilateralism, including commitments made to the fight against AIDS.

WHO urged governments to renew their commitments to ending HIV in Africa, adding that the pullbacks make it more urgent than ever to safeguard the gains and protect lives.

In a message to commemorate the Day, under the theme, ‘Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response,’ WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Janabi, emphasised the need to build a stronger, more self-reliant and more integrated response.

He noted that across Africa, countries were working to embed HIV services within primary health care systems, ensuring inclusive, people-centred care.

He said: “Sustaining this progress means protecting the infrastructure that supports testing, treatment and prevention, while accelerating access to innovation. New tools, such as long-acting HIV prevention medicines like Lenacapavir, can transform lives, requiring only two injections a year.”

Janabi said the African Region has made remarkable gains over the past decade, stressing that new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have each fallen by more than half since 2010.

According to him, a total of 21.7 million people living with HIV now receive lifesaving antiretroviral therapy while community-led testing, differentiated care and integration with primary health services were transforming how care was delivered.

He said: “In Botswana, the achievement of Gold Tier status for eliminating mother-to-child transmission shows what sustained commitment can deliver. But progress remains fragile. We must act now to protect what has been achieved, and accelerate what remains unfinished. WHO commends South Africa for being the first African country to licence Lenacapavir for use to prevent HIV, and we hope more African countries will follow their lead”.

The Regional Director urged all Member States and partners to transform the HIV response into sustainable, locally-led systems, through increased domestic investment and innovative financing.

“As WHO, we stand ready to support countries and communities in transforming HIV services into resilient, inclusive and sustainable systems, especially through these changing 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, the strength and the resolve to go the distance, and end AIDS in Africa,” he added.

On its part, the UNAIDS reported widespread disruption to HIV prevention, testing and community-led programmes, adding that across 13 countries, the number of people newly initiated on treatment has fallen.

The agency said abrupt funding cuts and a deteriorating human rights environment disrupt prevention and treatment services across dozens of countries.

National Programme Officer at UNAIDS, Dr. Tomitope Fadiya, said the funding crisis has exposed the fragility of the progress UNAIDS fought so hard to achieve.

Fadiya warned that dismantled prevention programmes leave the carriers even more vulnerable.

He said international assistance has sharply declined, with OECD projections showing external health funding could fall by 30 to 40 per cent in 2025 compared with 2023.

“The impact has been immediate and severe, especially in low- and middle-income countries highly affected by HIV,” he said.

He urged African leaders to maintain and increase HIV funding, especially for countries most dependent on external assistance.

He also called for investment in innovation, including affordable long-acting prevention and upholding human rights and empowering communities, which remain central to successful HIV responses.

Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), Dr. Folakemi Animashaun, said the agency was committed to strengthening both health systems and community networks, ensuring that every effort to prevent, detect, and treat HIV is empowered and sustained.

The CEO said this year’s theme resonates deeply with shared experience in Lagos.

“It reflects both the challenges and the resilience of the communities. Lagos is a city of movement, opportunity, and diversity, where lives intersect across 20 local councils and 37 local council development areas,” she said.

Animashaun said the ongoing statewide HIV testing campaign remains the central activity of the commemoration in the state.

“It ensures that residents across all LGAs and LCDAs know their HIV status, supports early diagnosis, facilitates timely linkage to care, and sustains treatment adherence. This campaign reaches communities where health and social support are most needed,” she said.