Last week, like every week, about 4000 young women were newly infected with HIV. Behind that number is a classroom where a girl dreams of becoming a nurse, a clinic where a young woman waits for care, a family hoping their daughter has a chance at living a healthier life and having a prosperous future.
And yet, there is hope we have not seen before. We now have tools and treatments that can change this trajectory. Tools designed to meet that young woman’s reality, giving her more control over her health and future. We are so close to an AIDS-free generation!
Today, on World AIDS Day, we choose both hope and action. For ONE, this means continuing to fight for healthier lives everywhere and advocating for strong, sustainable health investments that help communities prevent, diagnose, and survive diseases like HIV/AIDS.
The reality for girls and young women
In many regions, adolescent girls and young women remain disproportionately affected by HIV. Barriers to care, gender-based violence, stigma, economic inequality, and unequal power dynamics all contribute to higher risk.
The world made measurable progress since 2002. Millions of infections were prevented, and credit to coalitions that have come together successfully such as the Global Fund partnership which has helped save about 70 million lives.
Yet still, the gap for young women remains one of the biggest challenges in global health. At ONE we fundamentally believe where you live should not determine whether you live.
Breakthrough prevention like Lenacapavir gives us real hope
Lenacapavir is a long-lasting medicine for HIV prevention with incredibly high effectiveness, requiring just two treatments per year. This makes it one of the most promising breakthroughs in HIV prevention!
For many young women, this changes everything. Daily pills can be difficult to sustain due to stigma, long distances to clinics, safety concerns, or restrictions within households. The alternative twice-yearly injection offers privacy, autonomy, and choice.
However, innovation becomes impact only when paired with strong delivery systems and sustainable health investments that ensure breakthrough tools, like lenacapavir, reach the frontlines.
A “Recalibration” of Canada’s pledge this year, yet Canadians are rallying.
This year, Canada reduced part of our support for the global fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. On November 21st, at the G-20 Summit Canada announced a $1.02B pledge to the Global Fund replenishment, which is less than its previous commitment of $1.21B, an almost 16% cut. While much lower than many advocacy groups had hoped, Global Affairs Canada says this is part of a “recalibration” to pre-pandemic levels. That said, this does not erase the previous decades of meaningful Canadian leadership in global health.
Canada has long backed evidence-based global health programs, supported research, and invested in efforts that save and improve lives. Canadians continue to believe in a world where everyone has access to basic healthcare, no matter where they are born.
Our CEO Ndidi Nwuneli reminds us, “we must sustain the remarkable strides that we have made in improving access to life-saving medicines .” Her message is clear: progress is possible if we continue to choose it, fund it, and fight for it. This is especially critical to keep in mind now as global efforts to End AIDS by 2030 appear to be declining – or as some may say, retreating. “We cannot stop. Now is the time to invest in proven solutions.”
Champions are stepping up.
Across the country, Canadian champions are making their voices heard. Their leadership is a call to action for all of us.
Hailey Wickenheiser, an Olympian icon, physician, and advocate pushing for Canada to lead with the same grit, teamwork, and determination she brought to the ice. Her message is clear: global health is not charity, but courage in action.
Behind her are more than 150 Canadian doctors, nurses, and researchers who wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister calling for smart, life-saving investments in the global fight against AIDS. Their message emphasized urgency, evidence, and the opportunity to turn scientific breakthrough into real-world impact.
What can we do next?
- Protect effective investments in life-saving medicine.
- Increase access to long-acting prevention like lenacapavir, with fair pricing and delivery.
- Support local women-led clinics and community workers.
- Fight stigma with facts and compassion.
- Ask your MP to back strong, effective global health investments.
In closing, every week 4000 young women are newly infected with HIV. But we have the tools to change that. Two injections a year can make a difference. We can protect the future of an entire generation!
We stand with her, and we stand together.
Add your voice. Help us continue advocacy for investments needed to end AIDS and to create healthier lives. Because where you live should not determine whether you live.
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The 8th Replenishment targets US$18 billion to continue its work uniting the world to find solutions and scale them. This strategic investment would save 23 million lives between 2027 and 2029 and prevent around 400 million infections. To track ongoing progress, visit ONE Data https://data.one.org/analysis/global-fund-8th-replenishment-tracker. This tool continues to be a much-needed resource for policymakers, analysts and decision-makers around the world, winning plaudits for helping to enhance data transparency on health financing.
At ONE we recently launched a new campaign the “Futuremakers” on social media, with two incredible stories tied to the Global Fund Replenishment. These stories show how global investments in lifesaving programs like the Global Fund power African-led solutions that can change health outcomes not just across Africa but around the world. Check out the first two films now.
Want to Dig In and Read More?
Global HIV & AIDS statistics — Fact sheet | UNAIDS 2025. https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/fact-sheet
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. February 18, 2025. https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/investment-case
Global Fund Secures Access to Breakthrough HIV Prevention Drug Lenacapavir. July 9, 2025. https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/2025/2025-07-09-global-fund-secures-access-breakthrough-hiv-prevention-drug-lenacapavir/
Paik, J. Lenacapavir: First Approval. Drugs 82, 1499–1504 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-022-01786-0
Bono, Keynote Address at the 54th National Prayer Breakfast. Delivered 2 February 2006, The Hilton Washington Hotel, Washington, D.C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrH8hExXDiw
Advocates call for increased and new sources of global health financing. September 8, 2025. https://www.theglobalfight.org/advocates-call-for-increased-and-new-sources-of-global-health-financing/
Staying in the Game: Why Canada’s Global Health Leadership Matters Now More Than Ever. Op-ed by Hayley Wickenheiser, November 22, 2025. https://nationalnewswatch.com/2025/11/22/staying-in-the-game-why-canadas-global-health-leadership-matters-now-more-than-ever
Global Affairs Canada, News Release. November 21, 2025. https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2025/11/canada-announces-commitment-to-the-global-fight-against-hiv-tuberculosis-and-malaria.html
ONE Campaign Reacts: 8th Replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. November 21, 2025. https://www.one.org/press/one-campaign-reaction-global-fund-replenishment/
CATIE-IG-HIV-PeopleLiving-EN-02-2025.pdf