By: Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Winnie Byanyima, has warned that Africa is falling behind in HIV treatment coverage, with more than nine million people across the continent still in need of life-saving treatment.
She has therefore urged African countries to urgently identify and close gaps in their HIV response in order to achieve the global goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
“Those most vulnerable include children, adolescent girls and young women, key populations, and the general population in need of treatment. This is not acceptable. We must close the treatment gaps and urgently address the new infections we are seeing,” Ms. Byanyima said.
The UNAIDS Executive Director, who also serves as a United Nations Under-Secretary-General, made the remarks at a press briefing on the sidelines of the 23rd International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA 2025).
She stressed the need for African countries to strengthen both prevention and treatment efforts, noting that although the continent has unprecedented opportunities driven by innovation, technology and strong community systems, HIV responses must be prioritised and adequately resourced.
Ms. Byanyima emphasised that protecting human rights remains central to delivering effective HIV services, adding that strong
