The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] joins millions of people around the world to commemorate World AIDS Day, today 1st of December 2025, under the global theme: “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response”

World AIDS Day is observed annually around the world to show solidarity to people living with HIV, remember those who lost their lives and to raise awareness about the epidemic. 

The theme for this year to observe World AIDS Day emphasises the need for governments across the world to develop self-reliance in funding their HIV/AIDS program and not being solely reliant on donor funding. This is crucial in overcoming the disruption to the fight against HIV/AIDS. 

This is against the backdrop of the Trump Administration signing executive orders halting foreign aid and assistance through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief [PEPFAR]. The executive orders halting the vital funding programme have had an impact on global health and in particular the fight against HIV/AIDS. This has caused a disruption in the fight against HIV/AIDS. 

The World Health Organisation reports that global health responses to have been severely impacted by the halting and suspension of funding and this directly affects over 20 million people, who are at risk of losing access to life-saving HIV medications, while critical health services are facing major disruptions. The interruptions threaten the continuity of essential health services, leading to setbacks in preventing new infections and increasing the risk of a resurgence and potentially reversing decades of progress.

As NEHAWU, we call on governments to pay particular attention to self-reliance in funding of HIV/AIDS programmes in order to meet the UNAIDS goal for 2030, which includes amongst others ending AIDS as a public health threat, preventing HIV, addressing stigma and discrimination and most importantly providing access to healthcare.

Lastly, we must continue our fight against HIV/AIDS and the global community must unite to overcome the disruptions to transforming the AIDS response.

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Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat.

Zola Saphetha (General Secretary) at 082 558 5968; December Mavuso (Deputy General Secretary) at 082 558 5969; Lwazi Nkolonzi (NEHAWU National Spokesperson) at 081 558 2335 or email: lwazin@nehawu.org.za