Zambia Calls for Renewed HIV Funding

Zambia has appealed for renewed global backing in the fight against HIV and AIDS, cautioning that hard-won progress could be lost should funding keep declining.

Addressing the 2026 High-Level Meeting on HIV and AIDS in New York, Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Dr George Sinyangwe restated the country's pledge to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. He noted that Zambia had recorded major achievements, reaching the UNAIDS goals for testing, treatment and viral suppression.

Still, Dr Sinyangwe warned that obstacles persist, among them growing infections among the young, drug resistance and dwindling resources for HIV programmes. He pressed the international community to recommit and deliver the support required to maintain momentum, adding that failure to act risked higher infection rates, more deaths and the undoing of recent gains.

President of the United Nations General Assembly Annalena Baerbock said international cooperation had turned HIV from a lethal disease into a condition people can live with, yet that achievement was now jeopardised by falling financial support. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed urged stronger action to bridge treatment gaps, safeguard human rights and lock in sustainable financing, while UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima warned that reduced development aid and narrowing civic space threatened to weaken the worldwide effort.

The meeting is assessing progress under the 2021 Political Declaration and shaping priorities for the coming five years. Zambia's delegation, headed by Dr Sinyangwe, also features Permanent Representative Dr Chola Milambo and National AIDS Council Director General Dr Kebby Musokotwane.