By Michael Gwarisa
UNAIDS is set to cut half of its workforce as the organization grapples with significant funding shortfalls and a shifting global donor landscape.
According to internal communications, staff were informed during a town hall meeting on Tuesday that the number of employees will be reduced from around 600 to between 280 and 300.
The move is part of a broader restructuring effort triggered by deep funding cuts from traditional donors, including the United States, Europe, and parts of Asia. In response, UNAIDS is considering relocating many positions to more cost-effective locations such as Bonn (Germany), Nairobi (Kenya), and Johannesburg (South Africa), which bears the world’s highest HIV burden.
In a statement, UNAIDS warned that “the overall global AIDS response is facing a severe shock,” and many of the gains achieved over past decades risk being reversed. The agency added that the restructuring aligns with recommendations from an independent review panel, which advised downsizing the Geneva-based secretariat while retaining a presence in 36 countries and focusing on essential functions.
Drastic cuts to U.S. assistance—particularly under the current Trump administration—have delivered a major blow to the global fight against HIV. UNAIDS previously cautioned that without the restoration of critical funding, over 6 million additional people could die from AIDS-related causes in the next four years, and as many as 2,000 people per day could become newly infected with HIV.
In a February interview with the Associated Press, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said HIV infections could increase more than sixfold by 2029 if American support to the world’s largest AIDS response initiative is withdrawn. She also warned that the emergence of more drug-resistant HIV strains is a real possibility.
Byanyima acknowledged that criticisms of the current aid delivery mechanisms were valid and said the funding crisis presents “an opportunity to rethink and develop more efficient ways of delivering life-saving support.”
According to UNAIDS’ official website, the United States contributed more than 40% of the agency’s core and non-core funding, which totaled approximately $214 million in 2023. Other key donors include the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Founded in 1996, UNAIDS was created to address weaknesses in global HIV response efforts led by the World Health Organization, which still provides partial funding to the agency.
