AIDS: Scientists Hail Breakthroughs but Sound Alarm Over Funding Crisis

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After decades of scientific pursuit, researchers say the tools to bring an end to the AIDS epidemic are finally within reach.

That optimism was on full display at the International AIDS Society’s scientific conference held this week in Kigali, Rwanda. At the heart of the conversation was lenacapavir - a long-acting injectable that protects against HIV infection for up to six months. The drug was officially endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) during the event.

Lenacapavir joins a growing arsenal of prevention tools, including a daily oral pill, a vaginal ring, and a monthly pill currently in late-stage clinical trials. Scientists say these advances offer a real opportunity to curb new infections significantly and ensure more people living with HIV can access treatment that renders the virus undetectable — and therefore, untransmittable.

Yet, even as optimism grew over medical breakthroughs, another question loomed large: who will pay to deliver these tools to those most in need?

Concerns were particularly sharp around recent funding cuts by the United States. The Trump-era decision to reduce support for the global AIDS response has cast a long shadow over the conference, threatening to derail efforts to scale up the new prevention options.

Take lenacapavir, for example. In December, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) - in collaboration with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria - announced plans to roll out the injection to two million people in low- and middle-income countries.

But now, the Global Fund appears to be pressing ahead with the initiative without PEPFAR’s backing. In fact, it remains unclear whether the U.S. program will support any of the emerging tools moving forward.

Scientists warn the implications could be severe. Beyond hindering current rollouts, the funding shortfall may also slow or halt research into future game-changers — including the elusive goal of an HIV vaccine or cure.

“When one funder as large as the U.S. retreats, the whole infrastructure can rapidly change,”

warned Dr Sharon Lewin, a leading HIV researcher.

As the scientific arsenal grows stronger, the global AIDS community now faces a different challenge: ensuring that progress is not stopped short by politics and purse strings. Disclaimer: This story has been edited by DNW staff as per DNW editorial guidelines and is published from a syndicated feed.