Published on: 2026-06-23
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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June 22, 2026 Healthcare
Despite significant progress over the past decades, the world is still far from fulfilling commitments to eradicate AIDS as a threat to public health by 2030. This was stated in the speech of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, delivered at the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS by his first deputy Amina Mohammed.
According to the head of the UN, over 45 years since the registration of the first case of AIDS, humanity has demonstrated “unusual determination and solidarity,” overcoming stigma, lack of knowledge, discrimination, and political indecisiveness.
Achievements that changed the course of the epidemic
The Secretary-General recalled that mortality from diseases associated with AIDS has decreased by 70 percent compared to the peak indicators of 2004 and by more than half compared to 2010.
During the same period, the number of new HIV infection cases decreased by 40 percent, and more than 32 million people are currently receiving life-saving antiretroviral therapy.
“We have confirmed that national leadership is of decisive importance, that real decisions are born in the community, and that scientific innovations are capable of being born even from the most complex situations,” noted the Secretary General.
SPID remains a global threat
Together with that, Guterres emphasized that the fight is far from over. According to the latest UN report, by the end of 2024 about 9.2 million people in need of HIV treatment did not have access to it. Over the year, 1.3 million people were newly infected, and 630 thousand people died from causes related to AIDS.
“Let’s be straightforward: the SPID is not defeated,” the General Secretary emphasized.
He warned that the reduction in funding already has a direct impact on prevention programs and work at the local level, which plays a key role in combating the epidemic.
Five directions for accelerating progress
The UN chief identified five key directions that should help the international community achieve the goal of eliminating NCDs as a threat to public health by 2030.
The first is the elimination of persistent gaps in access to prevention, treatment, and medical care, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalized population groups.
Second – support for organizations and communities that stand on the front line in the fight against the spread of HIV.
The third direction is related to the protection of human rights.
“Laws, policies, and social isolation that push people to the margins of society not only violate human rights but also undermine efforts in the field of public health,” Guterres noted.
The Secretary-General paid special attention to the growing discrimination against certain population groups, including LGBT+ community members.
The fourth priority remains financing. The UN Secretary-General has called for support to developing countries in strengthening health care and social protection systems.
“Now is not the time to cut investments in response to HIV,” he emphasized.
The fifth direction, according to the Secretary-General, was the inevitability of the revival of multifaceted cooperation, which underpinned the global response to the epidemic from the very beginning.
“No country and no community will be able to defeat AIDS alone,” he said.
Future of UNESCO
Separately, the Secretary-General touched upon the future United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), which is facing serious financial difficulties.
Within the framework of the “UN-80” initiative, the Organization intends to reorganize UNAIDS activities, distributing its functions and expert potential among UN system institutions in order to preserve the achieved results in the fight against HIV despite financial constraints.
According to Guterres, the speech is not about renouncing commitments, but about preserving the results achieved and guaranteeing support to the people and communities that need it.
“Structures may change, but the United Nations will never abandon its commitment to end AIDS as a threat to public health,” he emphasized.
The Secretary-General called on states to use the current meeting to mobilize political will and reaffirm commitment to science, human rights, solidarity, and shared responsibility.
“The responsibility for putting an end to AIDS as a threat to public health by 2030 lies with each of us,” declared the UN chief.
Speech of the head of YUNAYS
Progress in the global fight against AIDS is significant, but it cannot be considered a final victory, said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima at a briefing at the UN headquarters in New York. She reminded that 25 years after the first special session of the General Assembly on health issues, the world is still far from fulfilling the promise to put an end to the epidemic. According to UNAIDS data, 1.2 million new cases of infection were registered last year. “The promise to end AIDS has not yet been fulfilled,” Byanyima stated.
Addressing the delegates at the General Assembly meeting opened on Monday, the head of UNAIDS called on countries to agree on an “ambitious political declaration” that is planned to be adopted on June 23.
The head of UNDESA emphasized the importance of sustainable international financing and welcomed the growth of national investments: last year, 52 countries increased domestic allocations for HIV response measures.
Concluding the speech, Byanim reminded about the importance of equal access to treatment and new medicines. “Innovations that are inaccessible to ordinary people are not innovations,” he said, emphasizing that without fair access to medical achievements, it is impossible to talk about the end of the epidemic.
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