Africa Calls for Equitable Access to Long-Acting HIV Innovations at UNAIDS Meeting in Brazil
Brazil - - African countries have called for equitable and timely access to long-acting HIV prevention and treatment innovations, warning that scientific advances alone will not end the epidemic without affordability and access.
The call was made during a high-level UNAIDS meeting in Brazil, where Kenya’s National AIDS & STI Control Programme (NASCOP) Head, Dr Andrew Mulwa, delivered the Africa Regional Statement under Agenda Item 10 on behalf of African Member States.
Dr Mulwa highlighted the potential of long-acting antiretrovirals (ARVs) to address persistent gaps in HIV prevention and treatment, particularly among populations that face challenges with daily oral regimens. He commended UNAIDS, the meeting organisers, and technical experts for advancing discussions on practical solutions at a time of increasing pressure on global health systems.
While noting Africa’s progress in reducing AIDS-related deaths and new HIV infections through expanded access to antiretroviral therapy, he said significant gaps remain. Pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV continue to experience interruptions in treatment and adherence challenges, contributing to ongoing mother-to-child transmission.
He noted that global efforts are not on track to end AIDS in children by 2030. Adult viral suppression stands at approximately 73 per cent, compared to 48 per cent among children living with HIV. Adolescents and young people remain disproportionately affected, with adolescent girls aged 15–19 in sub-Saharan Africa nearly six times more likely to acquire HIV than their male counterparts. In regions such as Asia and the Pacific, key populations and their partners account for the majority of new infections among young people.
Dr Mulwa also pointed to structural factors sustaining the epidemic, including poverty, stigma and discrimination, gender-based violence, criminalisation of key populations, and restrictive age-of-consent laws, which continue to limit access to prevention, testing, treatment, and care—especially for adolescents.
Africa welcomed long-acting injectable ARVs as a promising option to improve adherence and retention in care. However, Dr Mulwa emphasised that access to these innovations must be supported by affordability, regulatory readiness, and timely availability across low- and middle-income countries.
He further noted that long-acting HIV technologies should complement a comprehensive, person-centred response that integrates biomedical interventions with behavioural approaches, condom use, community-led services, and structural reforms to address stigma and legal barriers.
African Member States urged global partners to work with governments and regional institutions to ensure universal and affordable access to long-acting HIV prevention and treatment options, particularly as the continent continues to bear more than half of the world’s new HIV infections.