The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS has reported a major drop in condom distribution for HIV prevention in Nigeria, warning that global funding cuts are weakening the fight against AIDS.
In its 2025 World AIDS Day report released on Tuesday, UNAIDS said condom supplies in Nigeria fell by 55 percent between December 2024 and March 2025. The agency said the cutback is part of a wider disruption affecting HIV prevention, testing, and community programmes in several countries.
UNAIDS said millions of people have been affected by the global slowdown in funding. It noted that 2.5 million people have lost access to preventive HIV medicine, while many others have died after treatment centres shut down.
The report linked the crisis to the temporary suspension of HIV funding by the United States earlier in the year. The US previously provided about 75 percent of international HIV financing. Other donor countries also scaled back support.
UNAIDS said, “Persistent funding shortfalls and the perilous risks facing the global HIV response are having profound, lasting effects on the health and well-being of millions of people.”
It added that the effect on Nigeria, where donor support plays a key role, has been “immediate and severe.”
Some programmes have resumed under the US-backed PEPFAR scheme, but UNAIDS warned that overall funding is still falling, putting the 2030 target to end AIDS at risk.
UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said the agency is helping more than 30 countries improve local funding, but the gap cannot be closed quickly.
She said about 40.8 million people are currently living with HIV, with 1.3 million new infections recorded in 2024. She also noted a sharp reduction in access to preventive medicines, saying distribution dropped by 31 percent in Uganda, 21 percent in Vietnam, and 64 percent in Burundi.
A survey by UNAIDS and the ATHENA Network found that nearly half of women and adolescent girls experienced disruptions to HIV services in their communities this year.
The report said global HIV infections fell by 39 percent between 2010 and 2023, with sub-Saharan Africa recording the biggest improvement. But 1.3 million people still acquired the virus in 2023, far above the 2025 target.
UNAIDS warned that falling condom use remains a major concern, saying, “Condom use remains the most effective low-cost HIV prevention method, but condom programmes have been defunded and social marketing schemes cut back in many countries.”
It said only about 25 percent of adults in West and Central Africa used a condom during their last sexual encounter.
The agency also highlighted a widening funding gap. Only 19.8 billion dollars was available for HIV programmes in low- and middle-income countries in 2023, which is almost 9.5 billion dollars short of what is needed for 2025.
Domestic funding has also declined for four straight years, while international contributions have dropped by almost 20 percent compared to their 2013 peak.
UNAIDS urged world leaders to renew their commitments and increase investments in new prevention tools, human rights protections, and community-led programmes.
