WHO Warns Global HIV, Hepatitis Fight Off Track
Key Developments:
- WHO says the world is off track to meet 2030 targets for HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections.
- HIV treatment access has expanded, but 9 million people living with HIV still lack treatment, while funding disruptions threaten prevention programmes.
- WHO identifies integrated healthcare, stronger surveillance, community leadership and innovation as key measures to accelerate progress.
GENEVA (News Medical Life Sciences) — July 31, 2026: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the global response to HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remains off track for achieving key 2030 targets, despite significant progress in treatment and prevention.
The assessment was released during the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro and ahead of World Hepatitis Day. WHO’s 2026 mid-term report assesses implementation of the Global Health Sector Strategies on HIV, viral hepatitis and STIs for 2022–2030.
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WHO said the strongest gains have been recorded in the HIV response, but funding disruptions, humanitarian emergencies and persistent inequalities threaten to reverse some of the progress.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the assessment demonstrates both the potential of sustained investment and the risks posed by disruptions.
“This report tells two stories,” Tedros said, adding that progress could be reversed by “funding disruptions, humanitarian emergencies and persistent inequalities.”
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HIV treatment expands but major gaps remain
By the end of 2025, an estimated 32 million people living with HIV were receiving treatment, according to WHO. Since 2010, new HIV infections have fallen by 42%, while AIDS-related deaths have declined by 57%.
However, around 9 million people still lack access to life-saving HIV treatment. WHO also reported that new infections continue to increase in some regions and among populations facing particular barriers to prevention and healthcare.
A logo is pictured outside a building of the United Nations AIDS agency (UNAIDS) in Geneva, Switzerland, April 6, 2021. Picture taken April 6, 2021. —Reuters/File.
A separate WHO fact sheet released alongside the assessment estimated that 41 million people were living with HIV globally at the end of 2025, with approximately 1.2 million people acquiring HIV and 570,000 dying from HIV-related causes during the year.
WHO said international donor funding reductions in 2025 disrupted prevention programmes in several countries, including access to pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. Preliminary data suggest PrEP use declined in some countries and communities.
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Hepatitis progress remains insufficient
The WHO assessment also highlighted gains against viral hepatitis, but said the overall response remains off track.
Annual hepatitis B infections have fallen by 32% since 2015, while hepatitis C-related deaths have declined by 12%. However, WHO reported that deaths linked to hepatitis B have increased by 17% since 2015, underscoring continuing gaps between prevention and treatment progress.
WHO’s 2026 Global Hepatitis Report separately estimated that hepatitis B and C caused 1.34 million deaths in 2024, while more than 4,900 new infections occurred globally each day. The agency has called for faster expansion of prevention, testing and treatment to meet the 2030 elimination targets.
Diagnosis and treatment coverage, particularly for hepatitis B, remain inadequate despite the availability of effective medicines.
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STI response faces rising infections and resistance
Progress against STIs has been uneven. WHO said countries have strengthened policies and improved syphilis screening and treatment during pregnancy, while HPV vaccination coverage has increased modestly.
At the same time, STI rates are increasing in several countries and communities, while antimicrobial resistance is making some infections more difficult to treat. WHO specifically highlighted growing resistance to antibiotics used against gonorrhoea.
Weaknesses in surveillance, diagnostics, health information systems and funding are also limiting the ability of countries to accurately monitor and respond to STI trends.
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WHO calls for integrated healthcare
WHO says one of the most important opportunities for accelerating progress is to integrate services rather than addressing each infection separately.
Countries reporting stronger results are increasingly incorporating HIV, hepatitis and STI services into primary healthcare alongside tuberculosis, sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health and noncommunicable disease services.
Eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B remains another priority. WHO said more countries are seeking validation for elimination, suggesting that stronger integrated maternal and child healthcare can produce measurable gains.
The agency also called for expanded digital health systems, interoperable surveillance, multi-disease testing and broader access to new prevention technologies.
Among the technologies highlighted by WHO is lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention option recommended by the agency. WHO said it was being introduced in 10 countries, with rollout planned in another 14.
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Community leadership also seen as crucial
WHO has also stressed the importance of community involvement in the global response, saying community-generated data can improve accountability and help ensure health services reach populations that are frequently underserved.
The agency released new consolidated HIV service-delivery guidelines and updated HIV surveillance guidance alongside the mid-term assessment. The measures are intended to help countries strengthen prevention, testing, treatment and long-term care while improving the use of national health data.
Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Department for HIV, TB, Hepatitis and STIs, described the assessment as a guide for the next phase of the strategy.
“This assessment is more than a progress report; it is a practical guide for action for the second half of this strategy period,” Kasaeva said.
CREDIT: AI-generated image
She said the report identifies where countries are succeeding and where progress is slowing, while the new WHO guidance is intended to provide practical tools for strengthening national programmes.
The findings come as the global health community reaches the halfway point toward the 2030 targets. WHO’s assessment indicates that gains are possible, but maintaining momentum will depend on sustained financing, stronger health systems, improved surveillance, innovation and equitable access to services.
WHO has therefore placed integration, innovation and community leadership at the centre of its call to accelerate progress against HIV, viral hepatitis and STIs before 2030.
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