WHO: Funding Cuts Threaten HIV Response in Asia-Pacific

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific warned on Friday that disruptions in global funding could weaken efforts to curb the spread of HIV in Asia and the Pacific, which is home to the world’s second-largest HIV epidemic. The WHO regional body said approximately 7 million people in the region are living with HIV, with around 280,000 new infections and 120,000 AIDS-related deaths recorded each year. Countries including Fiji, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea are experiencing some of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics in the world. The agency said the funding landscape has changed drastically, as global development aid declines sharply and international support for HIV continues to diminish. Around 76 per cent of spending on HIV prevention in the region still comes from external sources, making outreach and community-led services for key populations vulnerable as international support wanes. The agency urged governments to take responsibility for replacing external funding, integrating HIV into universal health coverage and primary health services, strengthening national systems and data, addressing social barriers to services, and accelerating access to innovations.