According to the latest UNAIDS Global AIDS Update, 87% of people living with HIV worldwide know their status, 89% receive treatment, and 94% of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression, figures that reflect decades of scientific progress and community-driven efforts.

Yet in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the picture remains significantly different. As of 2024, only 63% of people living with HIV in the region know their status, 48% are receiving treatment, and just 44% have achieved viral suppression. These gaps, compounded by increasing new infections, persistent stigma, structural barriers, instability, and funding pressures, continue to limit access to essential HIV services, making coordinated regional action more critical than ever.

Against this backdrop, experts and community organizations from across the region gathered in Amman on November 30 to launch a major initiative aimed at sustaining the HIV response in MENA.

Launching the Third Multi-Country MENA Global Fund HIV Grant

Participants from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia, along with national, regional, and international stakeholders, including officials from the Jordanian Ministry of Health, Dr. Ayman Maqable representing H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Al-Badour, the Global Fund, the MENA-H Coalition, and EMPHNET, gathered for the event titled “Regional Solidarity in Action: Sustaining the HIV Response.”

The gathering marked the launch of the Third Cycle of the Multi-country MENA HIV Grant funded by the Global Fund (MCMENA III), one of the region’s most significant collaborative efforts to strengthen HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and rights-based support.

This cycle introduces a milestone: EMPHNET has been selected as the Principal Recipient (PR), the first institution from the MENA region to take on this role for a Global Fund–supported regional grant. The selection reflects increasing regional leadership and commitment to locally driven, sustainable solutions.

Strengthening the Regional HIV Response

During the launch ceremony, speakers highlighted the urgent need for regional collaboration to address service gaps and ensure continuity of care. They underscored MCMENA III’s focus on:

• ensuring sustainable financing for HIV programs for key populations
• reinforcing national HIV programs
• strengthening integrated, sustainable HIV prevention and care
• expanding community-led interventions
• and upholding dignity, equity, and human rights

National actors, civil society organizations, and technical partners emphasized that solidarity and evidence-based programming remain vital to sustaining HIV services across the region.

Voices from Across MENA

A regional panel brought together civil society organizations serving as Sub-Recipients (SRs) under the grant from the five participating countries:

• Caritas Egypt
• Forearms of Change Center/ Sawa3ed (FOCCEC) in Jordan
• The Society for Inclusion and Development in Communities and Care for All (SIDC) in Lebanon
• The Association to Fight AIDS (ALCS) in Morocco
• The Tunisian Association of Fight against Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS (ATL)

They were joined by regional partners including Middle East and North Africa Harm Reduction Association (MENAHRA), the Middle East and North Africa Rosa (MENA Rosa), and the International Migration Organization (IOM - the PR for the MER Grant), among others.

Panelists discussed national priorities, reflected on lessons learned from earlier grant cycles, and emphasized the importance of community-driven responses and stronger links between HIV services and broader health systems.

From Vision to Action: Four Days of Technical Collaboration

Following the launch, the initiative moved into its implementation phase with a four-day technical mission (December 1–4).

Participants, including SRs, MENA-H, the Global Fund, EMPHNET, and regional technical partners, engaged in structured sessions focusing on:

• Strengthening regional enablers, including communications, learning platforms, and rights-based approaches
• Stakeholder engagement and strategic alignment with national HIV programs and the Middle East Response
• Operational readiness and capacity strengthening, including M&E frameworks, financial accountability, and data quality

Aligned with World AIDS Day 2025 and its theme, “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response”, the week in Amman signaled a renewed regional commitment to restoring disrupted services, elevating community leadership, and accelerating progress toward ending AIDS by 2030.

As partner countries move into implementation, MCMENA III provides a unified, resilient, and inclusive pathway, one that supports vulnerable communities and advances the rights and dignity of every person affected by HIV in the region.

Watch our World AIDS Day 2025 video here.