9 million still miss HIV treatment - WHO

…Says funding cuts, inequalities threaten bid to end HIV, hepatitis, STIs by 2030

By Chioma Obinna

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that nearly nine million people living with HIV are still without life-saving treatment, raising concerns that funding cuts, humanitarian crises and widening inequalities could derail global efforts to end HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as public health threats by 2030.

The warning is contained in WHO’s latest assessment of the Global Health Sector Strategies (GHSS) on HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STIs 2022–2030, released yesterday at the 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) in Rio de Janeiro, ahead of World Hepatitis Day.

While the report highlights significant gains in the global response over the past decade, it cautions that progress remains fragile and could be reversed without sustained investment, stronger health systems and greater community engagement.