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Authored by Andrew Slinn, Global Equality Caucus on behalf of ViiV Healthcare
Sponsored content from ViiV Healthcare.
Innovation has been driving progress in the HIV response for decades. The introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy in the 1990s meant living with HIV was no longer a death sentence. Treatment as prevention, including the data to support that an undetectable viral load means the virus is untransmittable (U=U), has radically reduced new diagnoses. Innovation in non-biomedical interventions, such as differentiated service delivery and social media campaigning, means more people than ever are accessing HIV information, testing and services.,
However, the discrimination faced by people affected by HIV continues to be a pernicious barrier in epidemic response. Taking daily medication is a reminder of HIV diagnosis, which can be demoralising and reinforce self-stigma. Collecting HIV medicine from a pharmacy can make somebody a visible target for judgement from their peers, particularly in communities where modern scientific understanding about HIV is low.
Science is constantly evolving, newer treatment and prevention options have been developed, such as long-acting injectables. This innovation offers people the choice of a daily pill or injections taken every few months or longer. The privacy and convenience this affords – especially to marginalised populations – is game-changing. The inherent benefits to adherence also mean more people can be retained in treatment and care. New treatment options mean there is more choice in how people approach their care, giving people living with HIV more agency and access than ever before.
While innovation in epidemic response moves forward, the great concern is that political commitment to address HIV is evaporating. The global goal is to end HIV as a public health threat by 2030 with a multi-pronged strategy, including community-led programming, improving access to prevention tools, tackling structural discrimination and inequalities, and pioneering new treatments accessible to all.,
Despite these targets there is an immediate risk of undoing decades of progress. As international funding shrinks – with countries cutting their Global Fund pledges, and some slashing development budgets – there is an urgent need to mobilise resources for domestic funding.,, The dismantling of USAID has had a brutal effect on programming and it was only after the tireless work of advocates that the US Senate spared $400 million for PEPFAR in its budget rescissions.,
It is incumbent on lawmakers to drive progress despite global instability. At the Global Equality Caucus, through a partnership with ViiV Healthcare, we have been connecting legislators with advocates to identify equitable and human-centred policy solutions. Improved access to innovation in HIV, including long-acting injectables, is part of a network of broader concerns: repealing outdated HIV criminal statutes, addressing gender-based violence and LGBT+ discrimination, diversifying access to HIV testing, and fostering a civic space where community groups can deliver tailored services.,,,,
This must be underpinned by sustainable funding models and governments must be held accountable. After 30 years of incredible momentum, the end is in sight. Why blink now?
1World Health Organization. Global HIV Programme: Treatment and care in adults. Geneva: World Health Organization; Accessed 4 December 2025. Available from: https://www.who.int/teams/global-hiv-hepatitis-and-stis-programmes/hiv/treatment/hiv-treatment-for-adults
2University of Copenhagen CHIP, Department of Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology. The PARTNER 2 Study: a study for sero-different gay couples. Copenhagen: University of Copenhagen CHIP, Department of Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology; Accessed 4 December 2025. Available from: https://i-base.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/PARTNER_Leaflet_V10_2015JAN05_GB_JS.pdf
3International AIDS Society. Differentiated Service Delivery. Geneva: International AIDS Society; Accessed 4 December 2025. Available from: https://www.iasociety.org/ias-programme/differentiated-service-delivery
4HIV Prevention England. It Starts With Me. London: HIV Prevention England; Accessed 4 December 2025. Available from: https://www.hivpreventionengland.org.uk/it-starts-with-me/
5UNAIDS. HIV And Stigma and Discrimination. 2024. Available from: https://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/07-hiv-human-rights-factsheet-stigma-discrmination_en.pdf
6ViiV Healthcare. The Positive Perspectives Survey Report. 2017. Available from: https://edgesuite.gskstatic.com/Viiv/viivhealthcar.... Last accessed: 9 December 2025
7Katz IT, et al. Impact of HIV-related stigma on treatment adherence: systematic review and meta-synthesis. Journal of the International AIDS Society vol. 16,3 Suppl 2 18640. 13 Nov. 2013.
8Hastie E, et al. Long-acting injectable HIV therapy outcomes among persons with HIV who have adherence challenges to oral antiretroviral therapy. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2025 Sep 15;81(3):543-546.
9UNAIDS. Recommended 2030 targets for HIV. Available from: https://www.unaids.org/en/recommended-2030-targets...
10United Nations. Ending AIDS by 2030 ‘Within Grasp’, Secretary-General Says in Message, Rallies World to Invest in Prevention. Geneva: United Nations; Accessed 4 December 2025. Available from: https://press.un.org/en/2025/sgsm22918.doc.htm
11The Global Fund. Germany’s Commitment to the Global Fund Replenishment: A Timely Investment in Health, Equity, and Resilience. Geneva: The Global Fund; Accessed 5 December 2025. Available from: https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/2025/2025-10-12-germany-commitment-global-fund-replenishment-timely-investment-health-equity-resilience/
12The Global Fund. Global Fund Welcomes UK’s Leadership and Pledge for the Eighth Replenishment. Geneva: The Global Fund; Accessed 5 December 2025. Available from: https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/2025/2025-11-11-global-fund-welcomes-uk-leadership-pledge-eighth-replenishment/
13UNAIDS. About the impact of US funding cuts on the global HIV response. Available from: https://www.unaids.org/en/impact-US-funding-cuts/About
14Cavalcanti DM, et al. Evaluating the impact of two decades of USAID interventions and projecting the effects of defunding on mortality up to 2030: a retrospective impact evaluation and forecasting analysis. Lancet. 2025 Jul 19;406(10500):283-294.
15The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). New York: The Foundation for AIDS Research; Accessed 5 December 2025. Available from: https://www.amfar.org/press-releases/amfar-applauds-advocate-led-efforts-to-save-pepfar-from-federal-cuts/
16Slinn A. GEC launches two new editions of HIV Prevention Handbook at Global Equality Summit. Global Equality Caucus. London: Global Equality Caucus; Accessed 4 December 2025. Available from: https://equalitycaucus.org/news/article/gec-launches-two-new-editions-of-hiv-prevention-handbook-at-global-equality-summit
17Venter WDF, et al. The long wait for long-acting HIV prevention and treatment formulations. Lancet HIV. 2024 Oct;11(10):e711-e716.
18HIV Justice Worldwide. What is HIV criminalisation? Amsterdam: HIV Justice Worldwide; Accessed 4 December 2025. Available from: https://www.hivjusticeworldwide.org/en/what-is-hiv-criminalisation/
19The Well Project. Violence Against Women and HIV. New York: The Well Project; Accessed 4 December 2025. Available from: https://www.thewellproject.org/hiv-information/violence-against-women-and-hiv
20The Lancet HIV. Anti-LGBT laws continue to hinder the HIV response. Lancet HIV. 2022 Oct;9(10):e667.
21European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Testing of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C in the European Union/ European Economic Area (EU/EEA). Stockholm: ECDC; Accessed 4 December 2025. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/testing-hiv-hepatitis-b-and-hepatitis-c-european-union-european-economic-area
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