The Urgency Still Remains for HIV: AHF Poland Marks World AIDS Day

LUBLIN, Poland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On the occasion of World AIDS Day 2025, AHF Poland reminds the public that the fight to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic is far from over. Every year, the world records as many as 1.3 million new HIV infections, a clear signal that we cannot afford to become complacent. Now is the time to rebuild public awareness, invest in prevention, ensure universal and easily accessible testing, guarantee stigma-free care, and maintain strong partnerships with people living with HIV/AIDS—both within our communities and beyond. World AIDS Day is observed annually on December 1.

Despite decades of progress against HIV, around 40 million people worldwide are still living with the virus, and women and girls account for more than half of all infections. Stigma and discrimination continue to deprive many of the care they need, and key populations, such as migrants and people experiencing homelessness, face significant barriers in accessing treatment. World AIDS Day observances aim to highlight these challenges and underscore the importance of keeping HIV/AIDS at the center of national and global public-health efforts.

“Europe is at risk of losing ground in the fight against HIV,” said Daniel Reijer, AHF Europe Bureau Chief. “While Western Europe has made steady progress, in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the epidemic continues to grow. Europe is now the only region that has fallen behind globally. While HIV-related deaths have halved worldwide since 2010, they have risen by a third across the region. We need renewed political will and stronger health systems that prioritize testing, prevention, and care. This World AIDS Day, let’s reignite the urgency to end HIV everywhere in Europe—because HIV/AIDS is not over until that becomes the reality.”

“The lack of universal health education, including sexual health, and the exclusion of disadvantaged groups—such as migrants or people experiencing addiction crises—from prevention, testing, and treatment efforts is a direct path to disaster,” adds Anna Szadkowska-Ciężka, Country Program Manager for AHF Poland. “Public health requires thoughtful strategies that tailor actions to the needs of specific social groups. This is precisely where AHF Poland focuses its work—reaching communities that are the hardest to reach with essential services.”

Additionally, pharma greed continues to block progress for the global HIV/AIDS response. Even with groundbreaking prevention tools like long-acting injectables, high prices keep them out of reach for the people and countries that need them most. True progress demands that pharmaceutical companies put people before profits because innovation doesn’t matter if it isn’t accessible to all.

World AIDS Day serves as a vital platform for HIV/AIDS advocates to acknowledge the progress made, remember those we have lost to AIDS-related illnesses and those who carry on the fight, and call on governments worldwide to commit the necessary resources and political support to end HIV/AIDS. On this World AIDS Day, we’re reminded: It’s Not Over.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global non-profit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to over 2.7 million people in 50 countries worldwide in Africa, the Americas, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Europe. We are currently the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare.