Nearly 40 million people were living with the HIV virus that causes AIDS last year. Over 9 million weren’t receiving any treatment, and as a result, someone died of AIDS-related causes every minute, according to a new UN report launched on Monday.

While advances are being made to end the global AIDS pandemic, the report indicates that progress has slowed, funding is shrinking, and new infections are rising in three regions: the Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Latin America.

In 2023, approximately 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses, a significant decline from the 2.1 million deaths in 2004. However, this figure is more than double the target for 2025, which aims to reduce deaths to fewer than 250,000, according to the report by UNAIDS, the UN agency leading the global effort to end the pandemic.

Gender inequality is exacerbating the risks for girls and women, with the report citing an extraordinarily high incidence of HIV among adolescents and young women in parts of Africa. The proportion of new infections globally among marginalized communities that face stigma and discrimination—such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs—also increased to 55% in 2023 from 45% in 2010.

UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima stated, “World leaders pledged to end the AIDS pandemic as a public health threat by 2030. They can uphold their promise, but only if they ensure that the HIV response has the resources it needs and that the human rights of everyone are protected.”

As part of that pledge, leaders vowed to reduce annual new HIV infections to below 370,000 by 2025. However, the report revealed that new infections in 2023 were more than three times higher, at 1.3 million.

Last year, among the 39.9 million people globally living with HIV, 86% knew they were infected, 77% were accessing treatment, and for 72%, the virus was suppressed, the report stated.

César Núñez, director of the UNAIDS New York office, mentioned at a news conference that there has been progress in HIV treatments, including injections that can stay in the body for six months. However, these injections cost $40,000 annually, which is out of reach for all but the wealthiest individuals with the virus. UNAIDS has been urging the manufacturer to make these treatments available at a lower cost to low- and middle-income countries.

Núñez also noted seven cases where people with HIV who were treated for leukemia emerged with no sign of the HIV virus in their system. These cases and the new injections will be discussed at the 25th International AIDS Conference, which began Monday in Munich.

Currently, daily treatment with pills costs about $75 per person per year, which has enabled many countries to increase the number of people with HIV receiving treatment.