HIV IS NOT OVER! ICW raises the alarm over UNGA80 Proposal to Sunset UNAIDS as dangerous for Women and Communities Living with HIV

The International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW) strongly condemns the UNGA80 reform proposal that would sunset or dismantle UNAIDS by December 2026. Moving to erase the only UN programme with an integrated gender, human rights, data, and community governance mandate for HIV is dangerous. The gap in essential convening and leadership of the HIV response will cost lives and including the lives of women living with HIV and people from key populations worldwide. 

Evidence already shows the scale of the danger. The HIV  respons is already under threat. A recent modelling study projects that global HIV funding cuts could result in up to 10.75 million new HIV infections and as many as 2.9 million additional HIV-related deaths by 2030. Women and girls, who make up 53% of people living with HIV worldwide, will bear the heaviest burden

“Dismantling UNAIDS in haste will cost lives. Women and key populations will pay the highest price.” said Lillian Mworeko,  ICW Eastern Africa Regional Director and Member of the UNAIDS High Level Panel.

UNAIDS is unique and irreplaceable! 

One table for 11 cosponsors. UNAIDS is the only mechanism that convenes WHO, UNFPA, UN Women, UNICEF, UNDP, UNHCR, ILO, UNESCO, WFP, World Bank, and UNODC to solve problems with communities, not just about them. This coordination has delivered global agreements on prevention of mother-to-child transmission, the 95–95–95 treatment targets, and scale-up of community-led responses that saved millions of lives.

Gender & human rights in the core mandate. UNAIDS has consistently pushed gender-transformative, rights-based approaches in government healthcare systems for women living with HIV including, confronting stigma, gender based violence and coercion. This work brought global recognition of forced sterilization of women living with HIV as a violation of rights and secured commitments to remove punitive laws that block access to sexual and reproductive health.

Data and accountability provide the backbone of the response. UNAIDS coordinates global estimates and the Global AIDS Monitoring system, which now covers more than 160 countries. These data exposed the fact that adolescent girls and young women in sub Saharan Africa account for nearly one quarter of new HIV infections, evidence that unlocked new funding for prevention and treatment programs designed for them

What’s at stake if UNAIDS is sunset in 2026

The current funding crisis has already pushed services into collapse. ICW’s rapid assessment across 44 countries found that more than 20% of women living with HIV reported losing access to treatment, nearly one in three pregnant respondents faced severe barriers to maternal care, and 34.8% feared increased violence due to shrinking services. In March 2025 alone, nearly 15% of women in community HIV roles lost their jobs, eroding both livelihoods and lifesaving services. Sunsetting UNAIDS will worsen this crisis and accelerate preventable deaths.

“Sunsetting UNAIDS in haste will rip out the backbone of the global HIV response and severely undermine gender, rights, and community leadership.” said Keren Dunaway. ICW Global Programs Officer and PCB member

A hasty and unplanned closure of UNAIDS would dismantle global protections for women’s rights and safety in care. Without a UNAIDS-level mandate, there is no global driver to coordinate the HIV response on human rights violations, gender equality, coercion, mistreatment and gender based violence in sexual and reproductive health and maternity services. These are known barriers to access, adherence and healthy outcomes. The loss of UNAIDS would also threaten initiatives such as the Stigma Index, one of the few global tools that documents lived experiences of discrimination and violence and translates them into evidence for policy and funding. Without this leadership, the realities of women and key populations would be erased from data and decision making.

At a time of shrinking budgets and political hostility to rights based health systems, sunsetting UNAIDS would splinter the response precisely when coherence is most needed.” said Charity T. Mkona, ICW Chairperson

ICW call to Member States and UN leaders

Keep UNAIDS’ core functions intact or its mandate must be rehoused. This means a protected budget line, clear authority on HIV gender equality and human rights, and formal civil society representation in governance.

Any restructuring must include safeguards and a clear and time bound transition plan that preserves leadership on gender and rights, the global estimates and Global AIDS Monitoring system, and the role of UNAIDS in convening UN cosponsors with communities at country level.

About ICW

The International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW) is the only global network led by and for women living with HIV, with members across multiple regions. ICW advances rights, dignity, safety, and gender-transformative health systems through advocacy, evidence, and women-led solutions.

Charity T. MkonaChair, Board of Directors

International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW)

ICW GLOBAL BOARD Dr.Kneeshe Parkinson, Vice Chairperson ICW North America Immaculate Owomugisha Bazare, Treasurer, ICW East Africa Olena Stryzhak, Executive Committee ICW/ EWNA Diana Weekes, Executive Committee, ICW Caribbean Maria Teresa Martinez, ICW Latina Lyuba Vorontsova, ICW/ EWNA Rebecca Kubuvuana, ICW Asia Pacific Laure Kitanu, ICW West Africa Rita Wahab, Mena Rosa Maria Theresa Martinez, ICW Latina Norlela Mohktar, ICW Asia Pacific Chantal Mukjandoli, ICW North America Sharifah Nalugo, CYWAG

ICW Regional Network Leadership Sita Shahi, ICW Asia Pacific Medea Khmelidze, Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS Francine Nganhale, ICW Central Africa Hilda Esquivel, ICW Latina Lillian Mworeko,ICW Eastern Africa Martha Cameron, ICW North America Taline Torikian, Mena Rosa Sharon Mashamba, ICW Southern Africa Assumpta Reginald, ICW West Africa

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