“Promise that you will take your medication for life,” Mishra told PK Press Club on Monday in a message marking World AIDS Day.
“Your medication is your greatest protection“, she added.
Yet the global HIV response for the more than 40 million people living with the disease faces its biggest setback in decades, UNAIDS – which is fighting to end the epidemic by 2030 – said last week, with budget cuts disrupting prevention and treatment.
This year, on World AIDS Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) called on governments and partners to expand access to new WHO-approved tools, including lenacapavir (LEN), to reduce infections and counter disruption caused by cuts in foreign aid.
Progress in prevention
“We face significant challenges, with reductions in international funding and a blockage of prevention.” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO.
“At the same time, we have significant opportunities, with exciting new tools that could change the trajectory of the HIV epidemic. »
Despite dramatic setbacks in funding, the global HIV response gained momentum in 2025, according to WHO.
The organization shortlisted LEN, a highly effective twice-yearly injectable for HIV prevention, in October this year. This was followed by national regulatory approvals to increase access in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
WHO is also working closely with partners to enable affordable access to LEN in countries.
“By combining these advances with decisive action, supporting communities and removing structural barriers, we can ensure that key and vulnerable populations have full access to life-saving services,” said Tereza Kasaeva, who heads the organization’s HIV and other diseases department.
Communities lead the HIV response
UNAIDS warned last week that the number of people starting treatment had fallen in 13 countries, while more than 60 percent of women-led organizations said they had been forced to suspend essential services.
The UN agency emphasizes that communities are the driving force in the HIV response, providing education and support to people living with AIDS and working with health workers and policy makers to advocate for access to treatment.
“The pain, fear and mental pressure that we ourselves have felt – through this experience – we know how important a role peer support plays in everyone’s life,” Ms Mishra told PK Press Club of the importance of community.
Organizations like the one Ms. Mishra works for, the National Coalition of People Living with HIV in India (NCPI+), fight stigma and reach vulnerable populations to facilitate access to HIV treatment and prevention, among other services.
“We started this movement, but how to sustain it for a long time – that’s a very big question. Because until the network is strong, we won’t be able to provide services on the ground, or reach young people, or provide peer support,” she said.
