HIV science races ahead as funding crisis threatens to widen access gap

What the report says

The Independent Uganda reports that major advances in HIV prevention and treatment are emerging at the same time that funding instability threatens access to services in countries dependent on international support. The July 29, 2026 analysis by Patricia Akankwatsa, published from Kampala, says researchers are pointing to promising tools, including twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention and a possible once-weekly oral treatment for people already living with HIV.

According to the report, disruptions to the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief began after a January 2025 executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump paused foreign assistance for review. The article cites studies indicating that implementing partners across 46 countries lost funding awards, restricted activities or saw services interrupted. It says 1,714 HIV service sites were closed, including public health facilities, access points and community drop-in centres, while some groups reported shortages of condoms, laboratory supplies, PrEP medicines and antiretroviral drugs.

The Independent also reports that a separate analysis found 77,163 fewer children received PEPFAR-supported treatment in the 2025 financial year than the year before, a 14.2% drop, with Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Haiti and South Africa among countries showing possible shifts from earlier treatment trends. International AIDS Society officials cited in the article warned that scientific progress will have limited impact if financing and delivery systems weaken.

On the research side, the article highlights results from PURPOSE studies on lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable prevention medicine, including findings among women in Uganda and South Africa. It also notes Phase III results for a weekly oral regimen combining islatravir and lenacapavir, described as comparable to daily therapy among adults whose HIV was already suppressed. The broader concern is that innovation could widen inequality if new options remain unaffordable or unavailable.