The warning emerged from a survey conducted by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), whose network of sexual and reproductive health organisations operates in more than 170 countries.
Responses from 40 IPPF member associations showed widespread disruption in the availability of HIV-related commodities. Some providers reported completely running out of essential products, while others said their supplies had fallen to critically low levels.
According to the survey, 55 per cent of responding organisations had experienced a stockout of at least one product during the previous year. At the time of the survey, 40 per cent said they had completely run out of at least one product, while 60 per cent reported having at least one commodity at low stock levels.
The shortages were particularly severe for HIV rapid diagnostic tests, raising concerns about the ability of health providers to maintain consistent testing and identify infections early.
HIV Testing Among Hardest Hit
HIV rapid diagnostic tests were identified as the most critically affected commodity among the respondents.
Almost every organisation participating in the survey provides HIV testing services. However, 17 reported that their supplies of rapid diagnostic tests were low, while another five said they had no tests available at all.
The figures mean that more than half of the responding organisations were unable to guarantee sustained access to HIV testing at the point of care.
The disruption also extended to pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, an HIV prevention medicine taken by people who are HIV-negative to reduce their risk of acquiring the virus.
Both oral and injectable forms of PrEP were reported to be in short supply, with 12 member associations indicating that they had either low stock or no supplies.
The shortages could result in interruptions for people seeking HIV prevention, testing and treatment services, particularly in communities that rely heavily on non-governmental and community-based health providers.
Mallah Tabot, a senior adviser at IPPF Africa’s regional office, said the shortages demonstrated the consequences of unstable financing and increasingly vulnerable supply systems.
“These shortages are a warning of what happens when funding becomes uncertain and the supply systems communities depend on grow fragile.
“We cannot let decades of progress against HIV be undone simply because products aren’t available. This is not a distant risk – it is already happening.
“HIV infections are rising in a number of countries around the world and lives are being lost,” she added.
Supplies Unreliable Across Regions
The problem is not confined to one part of the world. Respondents from the Arab world, Asia and Oceania, Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean all reported unreliable supplies of HIV-related commodities.
The affected products include condoms and antiretroviral therapy, the medicines used to suppress HIV and help people living with the virus maintain their health.
The findings highlight the vulnerability of HIV programmes to interruptions in international assistance, particularly where healthcare systems depend heavily on external financing to purchase medicines and diagnostic supplies.
Millions Still Living With HIV
The supply crisis comes as the global HIV response continues to face a significant burden.
An estimated 40.9 million people were living with HIV worldwide last year, while 570,000 people died from AIDS-related causes and approximately 1.2 million new HIV infections were recorded.
Health organisations have warned that interruptions in prevention, diagnosis and treatment could reverse some of the progress made against the epidemic over several decades.
The risks have become more pronounced following a sharp reduction in international aid spending.
In 2025, global HIV responses were disrupted by funding cuts, with aid spending falling by about 23 per cent compared with 2024. The reduction prompted the United Nations to warn in June of the possibility of a resurgence of the HIV epidemic.
The latest survey suggests that the consequences of those funding pressures are already being felt on the ground, where health providers are struggling to maintain reliable supplies of basic commodities.
For HIV programmes, the challenge extends beyond securing medicines. Consistent access to testing, prevention products and treatment is essential to identifying infections, preventing new transmissions and ensuring people living with HIV can remain on effective therapy.
With providers reporting shortages across multiple regions, health organisations are warning that continued disruptions could place years of progress at risk unless funding and supply chains are stabilised.