The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has warned that declining international funding threatens to reverse years of progress in the fight against HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean, even as the Caribbean continues to record significant reductions in new infections and AIDS-related deaths.
In a special report released on July 31 during the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, UNAIDS said reductions in donor funding, coupled with cuts to HIV prevention and community-led services, could trigger a resurgence of the epidemic across the region.
According to the report, an estimated 153,000 people acquired HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2025, while 32,800 people died from AIDS-related illnesses.
The report highlights contrasting trends across the region. While the Caribbean has recorded substantial progress over the past 15 years, Latin America is moving in the opposite direction.
Between 2010 and 2025, the number of people acquiring HIV in the Caribbean declined by 30 per cent, while AIDS-related deaths fell by 65 per cent. Seven Caribbean countries also recorded declines in new HIV infections.
By comparison, new HIV infections in Latin America increased by 25 per cent during the same period, leaving the region overall off track to meet internationally agreed HIV targets.
UNAIDS Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Luisa Cabal, said governments must urgently increase domestic investment as external funding continues to decline.
“Given the current funding realities, Governments must move with alacrity to translate political commitments to increase domestic funding for HIV prevention programmes and community-led initiatives that can help in reducing the number of new infections. The progress in reducing AIDS-related deaths and eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, in several countries, show us what is possible in the Caribbean when political commitment turns into action,” Cabal said.
The report found that in the Caribbean, new HIV infections have declined by 31 per cent among men and 28 per cent among women since 2010, including declines of 38 per cent and 39 per cent, respectively, among young people aged 15 to 24.
In Latin America, however, three out of every four new HIV infections occur among men. Among young people, infections declined by 12 per cent among young women but increased by 16 per cent among young men.
UNAIDS also identified persistent gender disparities in AIDS-related deaths, noting that between 2010 and 2025 deaths declined by 46 per cent among men, compared with 23 per cent among women.
The agency said the findings underscore the need to expand combination HIV prevention, improve access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), strengthen early diagnosis, improve linkage to care and ensure sustained access to antiretroviral treatment.
Cabal also criticised the unequal global distribution of new HIV prevention technologies.
“Despite the innovations announced as essential prevention tools to accelerate the response, most countries in the region have been excluded from the voluntary licences that would enable greater access for the people who need them. This is simply an injustice, and it is unacceptable,” she said.
The report noted that international HIV funding fell by more than US$1.5 billion, dropping from US$8.8 billion in 2024 to US$7.3 billion in 2025—an 18 per cent reduction and the lowest level in nearly two decades. The decline follows a 23 per cent reduction in official development assistance globally.
UNAIDS warned that as several Latin American and Caribbean countries transition away from donor support, governments must ensure that domestic financing protects people living with and at risk of HIV.
“With the disruptions to the global health architecture, it is important to focus the HIV response on five key actions to translate political commitment into concrete measures: domestic funding to sustain the response, equitable access to prevention innovations, supporting community leadership, closing treatment gaps, including addressing the high rates of advanced HIV, and combating HIV-related stigma and discrimination,” Cabal said.
The report comes just weeks after 149 United Nations Member States, including Caribbean countries, adopted the Global AIDS Strategy 2026–2031 and a new Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS, committing to ambitious targets by 2030, including expanding treatment, increasing access to HIV prevention and reducing stigma, discrimination and gender inequality.
UNAIDS said achieving those commitments could prevent an additional 3.2 million new HIV infections and 1.3 million AIDS-related deaths by 2030. However, the agency cautioned that renewed political commitment and sustained investment will be critical if the region is to meet those goals.
