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[link removed] December 1, 2025


** The Pandemic Fund Launches: What you need to know
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Dear Advocate,

World AIDS Day in 2025 comes at a moment of unprecedented change. Over 60 years of investment in global health, forty years of innovation and progress in the fight to end the HIV epidemic, and many of the critical programs that provide access to HIV prevention in high burden countries are in disarray and at risk of collapse. As the US government withdraws and redirects resources, the just-launched UNAIDS report ([link removed]) shows the number of people living with HIV is predicted to increase from 40 to 50 million people by 2050, unless HIV incidence reduces dramatically. Yet, in the midst of the chaos ([link removed]) , there’s a historic opportunity to defeat HIV by scaling-up the breakthrough technology of long-acting injectable PrEP.

As governments and HIV prevention champions around the world scramble to reimagine a people-centered HIV response and build anew, what will it take to finally achieve targets to drive down incidence and reach epidemic control?

1. Fulfill the promise of science with accelerated, equitable access to injectable lenacapavir (LEN) for PrEP, delivered at scale

Science and advocacy have delivered astounding progress in developing biomedical options for HIV prevention. Injectable LEN for PrEP ([link removed]) is moving from research to rollout faster than any product before.

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Current commitments from the Global Fund and PEPFAR to provide doses for two million people by 2028 in 12 initial countries ([link removed]) represent a good start, but fall far short of reaching targets to achieve impact, which calls for 20 million PrEP users by 2030.

Making LEN for PrEP available for all who need and want it is possible. Coordination among all stakeholders ([link removed]) , and a shared priority to achieve epidemic control, can build a sustainable market for LEN that drives volume up and prices (and HIV incidence) down; puts communities at the center of program planning and implementation; is supported by inclusive policies; and integrates with sexual and reproductive health services that offer choices in HIV prevention to meet diverse needs. To learn more about who and what must come next to realize this potential, check out AVAC’s suite of LEN resources ([link removed]) and track updates on rollout with our long-acting PrEP dashboard ([link removed]) .

2. Expand, strengthen and sustain community and civil society leadership in the HIV response

Engaged advocates are fundamental to the success of HIV prevention R&D and rollout and to the larger global health movement. Involving community, civil society and global health advocates too little or too late has taught the field valuable lessons. ([link removed]) Community leadership was on full display at last week’s Global Fund replenishment ([link removed]) . Informed and supported community leadership has reshaped and improved both clinical trials and the broader landscape of policies, planning and programs for HIV prevention. From the strategic organizing ([link removed]) and monitoring ([link removed]) by the Coalition to build Momentum, Power, Activism, Strategy & Solidarity (COMPASS ([link removed]) ) Africa, to the policy wins and mentoring successes of AVAC’s Fellows
([link removed]) & Advocacy Navigator ([link removed]) programs, to the high-impact reach of Coalition to Accelerate & Support Prevention Research (CASPR ([link removed]) ), these initiatives represent highly effective models for community engagement. Stay tuned for detailed reports on the impact of these models in the weeks ahead.

3. Double down on the research pipeline for HIV prevention and a People’s Research Agenda

The US government’s attack on HIV research ([link removed]) has been just as evidence-free, ideological and devastating ([link removed]) as the drive to dismantle foreign assistance. With epidemic control in sight against one of the fastest mutating viruses ever known, HIV prevention scientists and advocates know that now is the time to press on the gas, not stall out. From vaccines and bNAbs ([link removed]) to multipurpose technologies ([link removed]) (such as the Dual Prevention Pill ([link removed]) ), to novel long-acting PrEP (such as a monthly PrEP pill), ([link removed]) advancing the development of options to meet diverse needs and offer choice is key to effective HIV prevention and ending the epidemic.

We have been marshalling the evidence and the organizing to defend HIV science and research. In September, months of teach-ins, tools development, tracking and collaboration culminated in the 24 Hours to Save AIDS Research ([link removed]) marathon. Read more about the event—and what comes next—in our new blog, 24 Hour Marathon to Save HIV Research: A Global Call to Action ([link removed]) . (Access resources ([link removed]) for advocacy demanding sustained support for HIV R&D and view the videos here ([link removed]) .)

As the new year approaches, there’s no doubt what needs to happen: deliver effective options with speed, scale and equity; invest robustly in developing the options we still need ([link removed]) ; and center the leadership of communities at every level of the HIV response. The world has every capacity to end the HIV epidemic in our lifetime, now we must summon the political courage to do it.

Ever onwards,

AVAC
Giving Tuesday

P.S. Tomorrow is #GivingTuesday ([link removed]) , a global day dedicated to giving back. If you depend on the work that AVAC and our partners do, and, if you can, please support us ([link removed]) to ensure we can continue tracking developments in real-time, strengthening advocacy networks, and equipping partners with the tools and information we all need to respond effectively.
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AVAC Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention
+1 212 796 6423 [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) www.avac.org ([link removed])
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