The sunset of UNAIDS would endanger the lives of those at risk of HIV infection and those living with the virus across the Asia-Pacific region, the Apcom Foundation has warned.
The Thailand-based LGBTQ+ rights advocate objects to the proposed closure of UNAIDS following UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ UN80 Initiation report, which suggested “sunsetting” UNAIDS by the end of 2026 and transferring its mandate into a broader UN framework.
Apcom said dismantling UNAIDS would undermine decades of progress in the regional HIV response and called on the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board to reject any proposal accelerating its closure before a full, evidence-based review.
The foundation said UNAIDS had already undergone substantial reforms, including a 55 per cent staff reduction and consolidation of country offices. Premature closure, it said, would be “potentially dangerous” given that prevention gaps and inequities in the region remain severe.
In 2024, around 6.9 million people were living with HIV in the Asia-Pacific, with 300,000 new infections and 150,000 Aids-related deaths.
Apcom warned that without UNAIDS’ leadership, fragile gains in prevention, treatment, and human rights protection could regress.
“Dismantling UNAIDS now would erode trust in international commitments, fragment the response, and jeopardise millions of lives,” Apcom said, urging member states to preserve the community-led governance model.