Nigeria, Sept. 29 -- A coalition of Nigerian civil society organisations has condemned a proposal contained in the UN80 reform initiative to "sunset" the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) by the end of 2026.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, the Coalition of Community Networks and Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria described the move as "ill-timed" and a "betrayal" of millions of people living with and affected by HIV.

On 18 September, in the report "Shifting Paradigms: United to Deliver" under the UN80 Initiative, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres formally proposed it.

"We plan to sunset UNAIDS by the end of 2026. This would entail mainstreaming capacity and expertise into relevant entities of the UN ...