Condom distribution in Nigeria has fallen by 55 per cent in the past year, according to new figures from UNAIDS, which says the global HIV response is experiencing its worst setback in decades.
The findings, released in the UNAIDS 2025 World AIDS Day report titled Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response, show steep declines in access to condoms, HIV testing, and community-based prevention services across many countries.
UNAIDS warns that the fall in condom distribution is part of a broader collapse in essential HIV services, driven by funding cuts and increasing pressure on civil society organisations.
“Progress is Unravelling” – UNAIDS
“The funding crisis has exposed the fragility of the progress we fought so hard to achieve,” said Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director.
“Behind every data point are people, babies missing HIV screening, young women cut off from prevention, and communities suddenly left without care. We cannot abandon them,” she said.
Key Findings from the Report
- Across 13 surveyed countries, fewer people are being initiated on HIV treatment.
- In sub-Saharan Africa, 450,000 pregnant or new mothers lost access to “mother mentors,” community health workers who connect families to testing and treatment.
- Young women remain especially vulnerable, with 570 new infections every day among girls aged 15–24.
- Over 60 per cent of women-led HIV organisations say they have suspended vital services due to shrinking budgets.
- Without renewed investment, disruptions could result in 3.3 million additional HIV infections between 2025 and 2030.
Funding Collapse Hits Hard
International funding gaps are widening. OECD projections show external health financing for low- and middle-income countries could fall by 30 per cent–40 per cent in 2025 compared to 2023.
For Nigeria, where donor support remains central to HIV prevention, UNAIDS says the impact has been “immediate and severe.”
Earlier this year, the abrupt withdrawal of the world’s largest HIV donor destabilised prevention and treatment programmes across multiple countries, including Nigeria.
UNAIDS Calls for Urgent Action
UNAIDS is urging governments to renew political and financial commitments, including pledges made at the G20 Summit in South Africa. The agency wants increased investment in innovations such as affordable long-acting prevention options and stronger protection for community-led initiatives.
The message is clear: without urgent intervention, gains made over decades in the fight against HIV could rapidly reverse.
