HIV/AIDS: ‘The worst epidemic the world has ever seen’

Women and girls in Gaza and the West Bank continue to face severe challenges due to conflict and displacement, while funding cuts have undermined access to healthcare and protection services.The UN agency responsible for maternal and reproductive healthcare, UNFPA, is warning that humanitarian needs remain immense, with services for mothers and babies under growing strain.Nestor Owomuhangi, the agency's Representative in Palestine, told Reem Abaza from UN News that the number of women in Gaza reporting suicidal tendencies through UNFPA-supported facilities has more than doubled in the past two years, highlighting the worsening psychological toll of the crisis.

A new generation of HIV prevention tools could help reshape the global response to the virus which has led to the deaths of over 44 million worldwide – but without sustained funding, political commitment and community leadership, millions more risk being left behind.Ahead of next week’s High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Director of the Prosperity and Well-being Hub at the UN Development Programme (UNDP), told UN News the world’s reached a pivotal moment in the fight against HIV as Governments prepare to negotiate a new Political Declaration.Speaking to Jolina Dong, Ms. Dhaliwal outlined the development body’s new Power of Prevention initiative, which supports the community-led rollout of lenacapavir, a highly effective HIV prevention injection administered twice a year, in high-need countries.

Sustainability in the kitchen is increasingly seen not just as a trend, but as a necessity shaped by economic pressures and changing consumer expectations.Chef Jaume Biarnés, a former member of the world-renowned El Bulli restaurant team in Spain, and now Director of the Yondu Culinary Studio in New York, believes that sustainability is integral to modern cookingHe told Liudmila Blagonravova from UN News about the key role fermentation plays in reducing waste and boosting flavour – and how simple, practical steps can help both chefs and home cooks adopt more sustainable habits.

Hate speech is an unavoidable menace today – particularly so for women and girls – on and offline. The abuse they face is increasingly fuelled by so-called “manosphere” online influencers.Their posts primarily target young men and boys to promote a warped view of masculinity, usually by promoting rigid gender roles and misogyny.To mark the International Day for Countering Hate Speech on 18 June, UN News’s Nathalie Minard sat down with Kalliopi Mingeirou from gender equality agency UN Women, where she's leading efforts to end gender-based violence.

Since its launch in March 2025, the UN80 initiative has moved into a decisive phase. Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy, joins UN News's Laura Quinones to discuss what has changed, what results are already emerging, and how the United Nations is working to become more effective at a time of growing financial and political pressure.

In Lebanon, UN teams and partners are dealing with a country in flames as the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) appealed on Wednesday for a “sustained cessation of hostilities”.As thousands of families continue to be displaced and uprooted by the violence between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli military since March, UN News’s Daniel Johnson discussed the impact on children with Marcoluigi Corsi, UNICEF representative in Lebanon.Our first question to him was to describe what families in Lebanon are going through.

Global cooperation is essential as criminal networks become more complex, sophisticated and interconnected, according to the new Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna, Monica Juma, who took office last month.Speaking to UN News’s Ezzat El-Ferri, the former Kenyan national security adviser said no single country, region or sector can tackle today’s security challenges alone. Ahead of the UN Crime Congress in Abu Dhabi this September, she highlighted the growing links between organized crime, corruption, trafficking, terrorism and emerging technologies, and stressed the need for stronger international cooperation to address these evolving threats.Ms. Juma began by reflecting on her first weeks in office before outlining her priorities.

Four months of escalating violence and displacement in Lebanon are having a severe impact on women and girls.According to the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, more than 1.4 million people are now displaced across the country – over 20 per cent of the population – including an estimated 16,000 pregnant women. Meanwhile, damage to health facilities is limiting access to essential maternal and reproductive healthcare.UNFPA Representative in Lebanon, Anandita Philipose, told UN News's Abdelmonem Makki that overcrowded shelters and ongoing insecurity are leaving many women afraid to seek medical care.

Funding cuts to health programmes are directly affecting women and girls in Yemen, according to the country head of the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA).Francesco Galtieri has been visiting UN Headquarters in New York this week to plead the case for more funds, in a country where more than 60 per cent of health infrastructure has been destroyed during well over a decade of brutal war.Mr. Galtieri told Reem Abaza from UN News that Yemen has become a forgotten crisis, despite the overwhelming humanitarian needs.

Human rights are "part of our DNA," according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who is championing a new Global Alliance at a time of rising conflicts, growing inequalities and mounting climate pressures.The initiative aims to bring together governments, civil society, businesses, academics and communities to place human rights at the centre of decision-making ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2028.Speaking to UN News's Srdan Slavkovic in Geneva, the global hub for human rights diplomacy and advocacy, Mr. Türk explained how the Alliance aims to inspire action.