TAC, SECTION27 warn against plan to dismantle UNAIDS

PLANS to shut down UNAIDS have sparked sharp criticism from South Africas Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and SECTION27, who warn the decision threatens to undo decades of progress in the global HIV/AIDS response.

- SIPHESIHLE BUTHELEZI

In a joint statement, the organisations described UNAIDS as the only dedicated UN body coordinating the HIV response, cautioning that dismantling it “will have a devastating impact on the lives of millions of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS”

This comes after media reports regarding the closure last week.

TAC and SECTION27 noted the agency is already under pressure, operating with reduced capacity after “massive cuts to country-team staf”

The planned closure follows the steep drop in global HIV funding in 2025, which TAC and SECTION27 say has done “unspeakable damage”. World Health Organisation data showed 1.3 million new infections and 630,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2024.

“The victories of our struggle against AIDS have to be won again and again. We cannot take the recognition of the human rights of people for granted, especially people using drugs, sex workers, and LGBTQIA+ communities. The rise of right-wing ideologies globally only reinforces this concern,’ said TAC general secretary Anele Yawa.