Prince Harry Warns Millions at Risk as UNAIDS Funding Faces Critical Cuts
NEW YORK – Prince Harry has joined forces with Hollywood stars and HIV activists in a new UNAIDS film urging continued donations to combat the global AIDS epidemic. The video, unveiled tonight at the United Nations General Assembly, warns that declining funding threatens to reverse decades of progress, potentially leading to 6 million new HIV infections and 4 million AIDS-related deaths within the next four years.
alongside figures like Earvin “Magic” Johnson,Charlize Theron,and Thuso Mbedu,Prince harry highlighted how stigma,shame,and misinformation historically fueled the crisis. He emphasized the current danger posed by interruptions in antiretroviral treatment for mothers, resulting in babies born with HIV.
“Right now, babies are being born with HIV due to interruptions in antiretroviral treatment for their mothers.Without urgent action to reverse these crippling funding cuts, 6 million more peopel will become infected with HIV while 4 million will die from AIDS-related causes within the next four years,” the Duke of Sussex stated in the film.
The film also features Fabian Quezada, a Mexican-born HIV activist, and Andiswa Cindi, a South African social media influencer using TikTok to raise awareness. UNAIDS reports that funding cuts are already causing shortages of health workers in countries like Eswatini and Mozambique.
Prince Harry’s long-standing commitment to ending AIDS stems from the work of his mother, the late Princess Diana, and led to his co-founding of the Sentebale charity – though he is no longer involved due to a charity row. His Archewell Foundation, established with Meghan Markle, is believed to support UNAIDS’ efforts.
“It is not just the at-risk communities that will be affected,” Prince Harry continued. “We’ve proven that sustained investment saves lives and builds stronger communities. Abandoning this life-saving work now would be a devastating betrayal of progress for the millions who depend on these essential services.”
The UNAIDS film, produced by Hollywood writer and producer Ron Nyswan, calls on governments and donors to contribute to life-saving treatments and solutions. UNAIDS aims to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, striving for zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths.
More information on the film can be found at https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/pressreleaseandstatementarchive/2025/september/20250922_movie.