At The Brink Of Eradicating HIV, America Retreats From Heroism To Hesitation

Forbes

09-04-2025

Woman with Child
What an extraordinary moment in medical history: science has handed us the superpower to eradicate HIV/AIDS. Lenacapavir, a once-a-year injection, can treat HIV, prevent transmission, and stop new infections—all with a single shot. This breakthrough opens the door to eliminating HIV from humanity entirely. Yet, instead of seizing this opportunity, the United States retreats from its global leadership role in infectious disease control. In a cruel twist of irony, we have the tools to become heroes, but instead, we have obstructionists and architects of missed opportunities in our government.
Lenacapavir is no ordinary drug. It represents a leap in HIV prevention and treatment. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated near-perfect efficacy: zero infections among participants who received the injection compared to expected rates without intervention. It slashed the risk of HIV acquisition by 96%.
This is not just a treatment; it's a weapon capable of eradicating HIV globally. Unlike daily pills or twice-yearly injections, lenacapavir's annual dose simplifies adherence and makes it accessible even in regions with limited healthcare infrastructure. It's as easy as getting a flu shot—except this one could end an epidemic that has claimed millions of lives.
This isn't science fiction or wishful thinking. We've seen similar feats achieved before. Egypt recently eradicated hepatitis C in under a year by combining bold public health strategies with cutting-edge medicine. Egypt has diagnosed 87% of people living with hepatitis C and provided curative treatment to 93% of those diagnosed, far exceeding WHO targets.
They didn't have limitless resources; they relied on loans from the World Bank and decisive action. In less than three years, Egypt implemented a comprehensive testing program and tested 60 million people for the hepatitis C virus. If Egypt can do it with hepatitis C, why can't we do it with HIV? The answer lies not in science but in politics.
Instead of rallying behind this breakthrough, the U.S. is pulling back infectious disease programming at a critical juncture. Under Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, key programs like the Office of Infectious Diseases and HIV Policy have been dismantled. These cuts threaten to reverse decades of progress and disproportionately harm marginalized communities already at higher risk for HIV infection.
The timing couldn't be worse. Science magazine recently named lenacapavir its 'Breakthrough of the Year,' highlighting its potential to transform global health outcomes. Yet, while researchers are delivering miracles, policymakers are undermining them. The juxtaposition is stark: we can end HIV, but we're choosing not to act.
Imagine what could be achieved if we embraced this opportunity instead of retreating. With lenacapavir as our cornerstone, we could launch a global campaign to eliminate HIV entirely:
These steps aren't hypothetical but achievable with political will and coordinated action. The World Health Organization is already preparing guidelines for global implementation, but success depends on nations stepping up to prioritize eradication.
Critics may point to challenges like manufacturing costs or cold-chain storage requirements for lenacapavir. Still, these hurdles pale in comparison to the stakes: ending an epidemic that has devastated lives for over four decades.
The choice is clear: embrace this historic moment or squander it through inaction. Lenacapavir offers hope for ending HIV/AIDS worldwide—a chance to rewrite history and save millions of lives. But hope alone isn't enough; it requires leadership, investment, and commitment.
America must decide whether it wants to be remembered as the nation that eradicated one of history's deadliest epidemics or as the one that let it persist despite having the power to stop it. Science has delivered; now, it's up to us to act decisively or face the consequences of our failure.