A powerful coalition of charities, advocacy groups, and cross-party MPs has issued a direct appeal to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, urging him to safeguard UK funding for the global HIV response. They warn that failing to do so would squander a historic, once-in-a-generation opportunity to end the Aids pandemic within the next few years.
A Critical Juncture for Global Health
The urgent call comes in a letter spearheaded by Geordie Greig, editor-in-chief of The Independent, and backed by major organisations including the Elton John Aids Foundation, the National Aids Trust, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the STOPAIDS coalition. The letter highlights that while the world was on track to end Aids by 2030 as recently as 2024, recent drastic aid cuts from wealthy nations like the UK and the US have thrown this goal into serious doubt.
The letter starkly states that without maintained funding, the world could revert to the crisis levels seen two decades ago, marked by mass deaths and overwhelmed healthcare systems. This warning is underscored by the UK government's decision to slash its total foreign aid budget by 40% to redirect spending towards defence. As part of this reduction, a 15% cut to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria was announced last month.
The Human Cost of Budget Reductions
Experts estimate that the cut to the Global Fund alone could result in the loss of 255,000 lives over the coming three years. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is expected to confirm further areas for reduction by the end of January, making the current moment critical for decision-making.
While advocates have acknowledged the UK's remaining £850 million commitment to the Global Fund as "significant," they stress it is insufficient. Mike Podmore, CEO of STOPAIDS, emphasised the need for additional funding for three other pivotal institutions: the UN Aids agency (UNAIDS), the medicines access agency Unitaid, and the Robert Carr Fund, which focuses on marginalised communities.
To simply maintain current global HIV efforts, the UK government would need to commit approximately £200 million over a three-year period. United Nations projections are grim: without protected funding, there could be more than 4 million additional deaths and new HIV infections globally by 2030.
Cross-Party Support for a Winnable Fight
The appeal has garnered support from MPs across the political spectrum. Conservative MP David Mundell, co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on HIV/Aids, called the goal of ending new transmissions a rare, achievable global target. He argued that continued investment is both a moral imperative and a practical measure to prevent future strains on the UK's own National Health Service.
Sir Andrew Mitchell, former international development secretary, reflected on the UK's historic leadership in the fight against HIV, which transformed the disease from a death sentence into a manageable condition. "Budget cuts are threatening to undo the progress we have made globally," he cautioned. "We have a real chance to make Aids history, and we will look back in shame and ignominy if Britain now fails to play its hitherto vital role."
The letter also calls for investment in new innovations that make the 2030 goal feasible. John Plastow, CEO of Frontline Aids, pointed to long-acting prevention drugs like lenacapavir—which can block between 96% and 100% of HIV infections—as potential game-changers. However, he warned that without proper funding, these breakthroughs will not reach the communities that need them most.
"Stepping back now would be a catastrophic error," Plastow stated. The coalition's message to the Prime Minister is clear: with a modest but strategic financial commitment, the UK can still lead the world in turning the promise of ending Aids by 2030 into a tangible reality.
