Last Updated on July 17, 2025 5:02 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
By Shobha Shukla & Bobby Ramakant
At the 13th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science, Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Director for Asia Pacific and surrounding regions, opened with a timeless Buddhist parable – The Quail and the Net. In the story, a group of quails regularly falls prey to a hunter’s net. One day, a wise quail advises unity – “if we all fly together, we can lift the net and escape.” And they do. But in time, small disputes arise—ego, fatigue, and disunity take hold. The quails stop flying together. The hunter returns, casts his net, and catches them all.
This cautionary tale, Murphy warned, reflects the current state of the global AIDS response. “We were those quails—governments, researchers, communities, donors—lifting the net of HIV together. But now? Some have grown tired. Some feel others aren’t doing enough. Disunity has crept in. And the disease we were close to defeating is threatening once again.”
Funding Cuts Threaten to Undo Years of Progress
One of the starkest warnings came from Murphy, who highlighted that global funding cuts, particularly from major international donors like the US, are pushing the world dangerously close to a reversal. If this continues, new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths could surge to levels not seen since the early 2000s.
“Domestic funding in many countries is still not enough. The AIDS response, in many regions, is heavily reliant on external support,” he emphasized.
Thailand: A Case Study in Fragility
Dr. Jakkrapatara Boonruang from Thailand’s Institute of HIV Research and Innovation pointed out that even countries like Thailand—with universal health coverage for HIV services—are facing setbacks. “Providers are losing jobs. Our institute lost 20% of staff after US funding cuts,” he said. Reimbursement gaps and uncovered service costs are weakening a once-strong infrastructure.
Asia Pacific: Rising Infections, Weak Coverage
Nine countries in Asia Pacific are experiencing a rise in new HIV infections between 2010 and 2024, led by:
- Fiji (+3091%)
- Philippines (+942%)
- Afghanistan (+187%)
- Others: Papua New Guinea, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Bangladesh, and Laos.
In many of these nations, less than half of people living with HIV are receiving treatment. For instance, only 11% in Afghanistan and 16% in Pakistan have treatment access.
Cambodia, however, stands out with a 92% treatment rate, showing what’s possible when political will and funding align.
The Prevention Crisis
Unlike the global 40% drop in new HIV cases since 2010, Asia Pacific has only managed a 17% reduction. Every day, over 300 men who have sex with men, 80 people who inject drugs, 50 sex workers, and 15 transgender individuals contract HIV in the region.
This highlights not only a prevention crisis but a deeper issue: criminalization and marginalization. These barriers stop the most vulnerable populations from accessing testing, treatment, and care.
2025 Targets in Danger
The UNAIDS 2025 targets call for:
- 95% to know their HIV status
- 95% of them to be on treatment
- 95% to have suppressed viral load
But Asia Pacific, as of end-2024, lags:
- 79% know their status
- 69% are on treatment
- 66% have suppressed viral load
Among children, the figures are worse: just 70% know their status, and 57% are virally suppressed.
A Call to Reunite – Before It’s Too Late
“We are running out of time,” said Murphy. “It’s like trying to empty a bowl with a hole in it—we’re focused on treatment but ignoring prevention. We need a prevention revolution rooted in human rights.”
The message is clear: unity is our only way forward. Just like the quails in the tale, the world must rise together—governments, health systems, communities, and civil society—to defeat HIV. Otherwise, decades of progress risk being undone.
Let us not become like the quails who forgot to fly together.