UNAIDS Warns Funding Collapse Puts Decades of HIV Progress at Risk
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has warned that decades of progress in addressing AIDS are at risk after a funding collapse in 2025. According to the UNAIDS report, funding cuts – caused by abrupt and massive cuts from international donors – are already destroying frontline services, disrupting lifesaving treatments and putting countless lives at risk in the world’s most vulnerable communities. There has been a drop of 40% in new HIV infections and a decline of 56% in AIDS-related deaths since 2010, but these achievements are now at risk. According to UNAIDS, if the world does not act, there will be six million new HIV infections and four million more deaths due to AIDS by 2029. UNAIDS also reports a rising number of countries criminalizing populations most at risk of HIV, raising stigma and worsening gender-based violence and non-consensual sex, two of the highest HIV risk-enhancing behaviors. The report showed the primary groups who lacked care were child HIV infections and young women, which is likely related to government campaigns “attacking HIV-related human rights, including for public health, with girls, women and people from key populations.”
Uganda Reopens Key Borders with DR Congo After Four Years
Uganda has opened its border points with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at Bunagana and Mupaka after being closed for four years. The border posts were closed in late January after M23 rebels captured Goma, the capital of the DRC’s North Kivu Province. Ugandan Chief of Defense Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba instructed all military commanders along the shared border to allow people to move freely and conduct business. Many key border posts are located within or adjacent to M23-held territory, including Bunagana, which lies directly on the border with Uganda and serves as a vital economic backbone. The closure of border points such as Bunagana and Ishasha had severely disrupted local economies on both sides.
Nigeria Rejects U.S. Visa Claim, Says 5-Year Visas for Americans Still Valid
The Nigerian presidency criticized the recent U.S. decision to reduce visa validity for Nigerians, saying that Nigeria has not suspended the five-year multiple-entry visa option for U.S. citizens. This comes after the U.S. announced that Nigerians applying for non-immigrant visas will now only get single-entry three-month visas instead of a two-year visa validity with multiple entries. According to the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, this was to reciprocate Nigeria’s visa policy for Americans. The presidency explained that the newly introduced 90-day single-entry policy applied only to electronic visas (e-visas), a fast-track option for tourists and business travelers, replacing the outdated visa-on-arrival system. The presidency described claims of reciprocity as inaccurate and labeled reports of a broader visa restriction as “misinformation and fake news,” reaffirming its commitment to existing bilateral agreements.
Four Billionaires Hold More Wealth Than Half of Africa, Oxfam Warns
A new Oxfam report titled Africa’s Inequality Crisis and the Rise of the Super-Rich has revealed that just four African billionaires now hold more wealth than half the continent’s population. Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, South Africans Johann Rupert and Nicky Oppenheimer, and Egyptian businessman Nassef Sawiris control a combined $57.4 billion. According to the report, this staggering concentration of wealth is indicative of a growing level of inequality across the continent. Since 2000, the number of African billionaires has grown from zero to 23, while the richest 5% now hold nearly $4 trillion, twice the combined wealth of the remaining 95%. Oxfam reports that almost 850 million Africans are now moderately or severely food insecure, an increase of 20 million since 2022. The report warns that without decisive action to tax the super-rich and invest in the majority, Africa risks perpetuating instability and economic hardship for decades to come.
Human Rights Court Rules South Africa’s Caster Semenya Was Denied Fair Trial
Caster Semenya secured a partial legal victory after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that her right to a fair hearing was violated by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in 2020, when it dismissed her appeal against World Athletics’ regulations on testosterone levels. This comes after Semenya challenged a rule forcing her to lower her testosterone levels to be able to compete as a woman. The South African double Olympic 800m champion was born with a rare condition called differences in sexual development (DSD). She has the “46 XY” chromosome, usually found in men, and naturally high testosterone levels. The ECHR’s Grand Chamber found that the Swiss court failed to meet the required legal standards under the right to a fair trial, although other complaints related to discrimination and privacy were deemed inadmissible. Semenya has welcomed the ruling saying it marks a significant step in protecting the rights of athletes.
