AIDS 2026 Conference in Rio Highlights Funding Cuts and Rising Syphilis Cases

The 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 26‑31, bringing together more than 20,000 scientists, clinicians, activists and people living with HIV. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will use its exhibition space to launch a global campaign on the alarming rise of syphilis, emphasizing its curable nature, the risks of congenital infection and the need for regular testing.

At the same time, organizers and experts warn that international financing for HIV programs has fallen by over 20%, jeopardizing hundreds of community‑based centres that deliver prevention and treatment services. UNAIDS estimates 1.3 million new HIV infections each year and notes a resurgence among young people, transgender women and men who have sex with men. Brazil, the first Latin American country to provide free antiretroviral therapy, faces the challenge of sustaining progress amid shrinking donor support.