UNAIDS Executive Director and Canadian Youth Leader Urge Canada to Sustain HIV Commitments Amid Global Crossroads
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, September 18, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS and United Nations Under-Secretary-General, joined Shamin Mohamed Jr., Founder of LetsStopAIDS, in Ottawa on Tuesday, September 16, to issue a clear and urgent message: Canada must protect and expand its HIV funding commitments, both domestically and globally, in order to meet the goal of ending the epidemic by 2030.
The national civil society roundtable brought together 21 organizations from across the country, including grassroots leaders, national NGOs, global health experts, and key government representatives from Global Affairs Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and MP Rob Oliphant.
“Yesterday’s roundtable showed the power of civil society coming together with government and global partners to protect the progress we’ve made in the fight against HIV,” said Shamin Mohamed Jr., who founded LetsStopAIDS at just 18 years old. “As Canada makes critical funding and policy decisions in the months ahead, we must strengthen these partnerships, and keep civil society voices at the center of the HIV response so we can stay on track to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.”
The visit also included a presentation to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE), where both Mohamed Jr. and Ms. Byanyima highlighted the growing challenges facing the global HIV response, particularly in light of funding shortfalls, rising legal barriers, and increasing inequities.
“We are at a critical juncture in the HIV response,” said Winnie Byanyima. “With new innovations like long-acting treatments and bold community-led strategies, we can still end AIDS by 2030. But this is only possible if countries like Canada continue to show strong political and financial leadership, through investments in UNAIDS, the Global Fund, and local HIV programs.”
According to the recently released UNAIDS 2025 Global AIDS Update, while AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 56 percent since 2010, the number of new infections has plateaued at 1.3 million in 2024, the same as the previous year. The report warns that sudden funding disruptions and widening social inequalities are already derailing progress in several regions. It also emphasizes the transformative potential of long-acting prevention and treatment methods, which require bold investment and policy backing to reach the communities most in need.
The roundtable in Ottawa underscored that the choices Canada makes now, especially in upcoming budget decisions, will directly impact whether the world remains on track to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Participants reaffirmed the importance of continued collaboration between civil society, youth leaders, and policymakers, and called on Canada to remain a global leader in the HIV response.
“Pandemics like HIV thrive on inequality,” added Byanyima. “Canada has long understood that the health of Canadians is tied to the health of people everywhere. Now is the time to act boldly and in solidarity.”
For more information on the 2025 Global AIDS Update, please visit: https://www.unaids.org/en/UNAIDS-global-AIDS-update-2025
For more information on LetsStopAIDS, and how you can help advocate, please visit: LetsStopAIDS.org
About LetsStopAIDS
LetsStopAIDS is Canada’s largest youth-HIV charity focused on HIV prevention and knowledge exchange. Founded in 2004 by then 15-year-old Shamin Mohamed Jr., LetsStopAIDS inspires youth in Canada and globally to play a meaningful role in ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
Through its numerous programs, LetsStopAIDS inspires young people affected by HIV to take action within their local communities, striving to achieve zero new Youth-HIV infections.
Learn more at www.LetsStopAIDS.org.
About UNAIDS
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. UNAIDS supports country-led responses and advocates for universal access to HIV services rooted in human rights and equity.
The national civil society roundtable brought together 21 organizations from across the country, including grassroots leaders, national NGOs, global health experts, and key government representatives from Global Affairs Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and MP Rob Oliphant.
“Yesterday’s roundtable showed the power of civil society coming together with government and global partners to protect the progress we’ve made in the fight against HIV,” said Shamin Mohamed Jr., who founded LetsStopAIDS at just 18 years old. “As Canada makes critical funding and policy decisions in the months ahead, we must strengthen these partnerships, and keep civil society voices at the center of the HIV response so we can stay on track to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.”
The visit also included a presentation to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE), where both Mohamed Jr. and Ms. Byanyima highlighted the growing challenges facing the global HIV response, particularly in light of funding shortfalls, rising legal barriers, and increasing inequities.
“We are at a critical juncture in the HIV response,” said Winnie Byanyima. “With new innovations like long-acting treatments and bold community-led strategies, we can still end AIDS by 2030. But this is only possible if countries like Canada continue to show strong political and financial leadership, through investments in UNAIDS, the Global Fund, and local HIV programs.”
According to the recently released UNAIDS 2025 Global AIDS Update, while AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 56 percent since 2010, the number of new infections has plateaued at 1.3 million in 2024, the same as the previous year. The report warns that sudden funding disruptions and widening social inequalities are already derailing progress in several regions. It also emphasizes the transformative potential of long-acting prevention and treatment methods, which require bold investment and policy backing to reach the communities most in need.
The roundtable in Ottawa underscored that the choices Canada makes now, especially in upcoming budget decisions, will directly impact whether the world remains on track to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Participants reaffirmed the importance of continued collaboration between civil society, youth leaders, and policymakers, and called on Canada to remain a global leader in the HIV response.
“Pandemics like HIV thrive on inequality,” added Byanyima. “Canada has long understood that the health of Canadians is tied to the health of people everywhere. Now is the time to act boldly and in solidarity.”
For more information on the 2025 Global AIDS Update, please visit: https://www.unaids.org/en/UNAIDS-global-AIDS-update-2025
For more information on LetsStopAIDS, and how you can help advocate, please visit: LetsStopAIDS.org
About LetsStopAIDS
LetsStopAIDS is Canada’s largest youth-HIV charity focused on HIV prevention and knowledge exchange. Founded in 2004 by then 15-year-old Shamin Mohamed Jr., LetsStopAIDS inspires youth in Canada and globally to play a meaningful role in ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
Through its numerous programs, LetsStopAIDS inspires young people affected by HIV to take action within their local communities, striving to achieve zero new Youth-HIV infections.
Learn more at www.LetsStopAIDS.org.
About UNAIDS
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. UNAIDS supports country-led responses and advocates for universal access to HIV services rooted in human rights and equity.
Dessy Danishwar
Swerve Strategic
+1 905-805-1024
ddanishwar@swervestrategic.com
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