In Rio de Janeiro this week, the International AIDS Conference convened at a moment of profound contradiction: science has largely conquered HIV as a biological problem, yet the political and financial architecture needed to deliver that science to the world is fracturing. Donor nations—led by the United States and followed by Europe—have withdrawn billions in funding even as researchers celebrate breakthroughs that could end the epidemic. The disease is no longer a mystery; it is now, more than ever, a mirror held up to the choices humanity makes about who deserves to survive.
HIV fight in 'real danger' as global funding plummets 20%
Millions lack access to HIV prevention and treatment medicines; nearly half of HIV-positive children are not receiving anti-retroviral drugs, risking infection spread and death.