Ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 remains achievable, according to recent reports, but it will require renewed global commitment to partnerships and community leadership. The UK has long emphasized collaboration in its approach to global health challenges, as highlighted by Kirsty McNeill, the minister for international development and Africa. The UK co-founded the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in 2002, and recent data from the Global Fund shows progress: in 2025, 26.9 million people in countries where the Global Fund invests had access to antiretroviral therapy, which helps manage HIV. AIDS-related deaths have also declined significantly, dropping by 57 per cent from 1.3 million in 2010 to 570,000 in 2025. However, recent years have seen a reduction in donor government funding for HIV programs. In 2025, funding for HIV programs fell by $2.1 billion compared to 2024, a 25 per cent decrease. These cuts have had a major impact, especially on HIV prevention efforts. Women are particularly affected, with 6 out of 10 new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa occurring among women. Adolescent girls and young women, aged 15 to 24, remain at high risk, with approximately 3,000 new infections occurring each week in 2025. The UK’s own funding cuts, which reduced its official development assistance (ODA) budget to 0.3 per cent of national income last year, have raised concerns about a potential step back from international leadership in global health. Community-led organizations, which have historically played a key role in HIV prevention and support, have been hit hard by these funding reductions. In some cases, their ability to deliver essential services has dropped by 50 per cent. In addition to financial cuts, there has been a rollback on human rights, with increased criminalization of marginalized communities—a trend that has risen for the first time since the UNAIDS began tracking it. These challenges threaten the progress made in the fight against HIV. Despite these obstacles, ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is still within reach. This will require a renewed commitment to community leadership and the protection of human rights. Innovations like the twice-yearly HIV prevention jab, lenacapavir, and continued international partnership are essential to support more sustainable, locally driven responses to the HIV epidemic. Ensuring that scientific and medical advances are accessible to low- and middle-income countries is also crucial. Over the next few years, UK political leadership and sustained funding will be key to staying on track to meet the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.