India Pharma Outlook Team | Thursday, 04 December 2025
On World AIDS Day, the World Health Organization called for urgent action to expand access to new HIV prevention tools, warning that deep cuts to foreign aid have disrupted essential services in many countries.
The spotlight is on lenacapavir (LEN), a twice-yearly injectable PrEP option approved by WHO in July, now seen as a game-changer for people who struggle with daily pills or face stigma when seeking care.
Funding setbacks hit the global HIV response hard this year. Community-led programs for PrEP, treatment, testing, and harm reduction were scaled back or shut down in several regions. WHO says the impact is serious, coming at a time when prevention efforts have stalled and infections remain high.
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Key groups — including sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender women, and people who inject drugs — continue to face the highest risk. Sex workers and transgender women face a 17-fold greater chance of infection.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned, “We face significant challenges, with cuts to international funding, and prevention stalling,” while stressing the potential of new tools to shift the epidemic’s course. WHO also highlighted that about 2.5 million people lost PrEP access this year because of donor cuts.
LEN is gaining ground, with recent national approvals in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia supported through WHO’s Collaborative Registration Procedure. The agency is working with major partners to ensure affordable access and says expanding HIV prevention tools must be a global priority.
Despite the setbacks, WHO points to strong community leadership. With better health systems, more domestic investment, and firm protection of human rights, countries can keep progress on track and protect people most at risk.
