Rio 2026 AIDS Conference Shows Funding Cuts and Access Gaps for HIV Prevention

Activists disrupted U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Jeff Graham’s speech at the 2026 International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, condemning the Trump‑Vance administration’s reductions in foreign aid for HIV programs. They cited the shutdown of PEPFAR sites, cuts to PrEP enrollment and condom distribution, and called for continued funding. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later issued a waiver to keep essential PEPFAR assistance operating during a broader aid freeze.

A UNAIDS briefing released ahead of the conference warned that global HIV prevention faces a funding shortfall of 18 % for 2024‑2025, with 1.2 million new infections and 570 000 AIDS‑related deaths recorded in 2025. About 22 % of people living with HIV remain untreated, and without urgent financial support the world could see over 3 million additional infections by the end of the decade. The report highlighted the new long‑acting preventive drug lenacapavir, noting its clinical effectiveness but also its high price and patent barriers that limit widespread use.