By: Asim Nawaz/Editor
BERLIN/GENEVA, 13 October 2025: Lawmakers from around the world gathered at the World Health Summit in Berlin to reaffirm the importance of political leadership and global cooperation in ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The meeting focused on mobilizing political will, defending equal rights, and ensuring equitable access to HIV services for all.
Organized by UNAIDS, UNITE, Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, the Global Equality Caucus, and STOPAIDS, under the Global Parliamentarians Platform on HIV and AIDS, the event was hosted by German MP Sasha van Beek. Participants emphasized the urgent need to renew global commitments to HIV financing and strengthen cooperation between the Global North and South.
“Parliamentarians have long been a cornerstone of the global AIDS response, securing funding, technical expertise, and advocacy for equitable access to life-saving treatment,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima. “As we strive to end AIDS by 2030, partnerships that uphold human rights and equity remain vital.”
Speakers highlighted the importance of addressing structural inequalities and ensuring protection for vulnerable populations, including women and young people. They reaffirmed their determination to eliminate stigma and discrimination while expanding access to HIV prevention and treatment.
UNAIDS and partners also called for long-acting injectable medicines, such as Lenacapavir, to be made affordable and widely available. According to UNAIDS, providing preventive medicines to 20 million people at highest risk could significantly cut new infections and accelerate global progress.
“Game-changing medicines like Lenacapavir bring us closer than ever to ending AIDS,” said Mike Podmore, CEO of STOPAIDS. “But reduced development aid threatens this momentum. Parliamentarians must ensure governments invest now to secure a future free of AIDS.”
Parliamentarians from Germany, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Namibia, Sweden, the United States, Uganda, and Zimbabwe attended the session.