Nigeria, June 23 -- Speaking during an assessment of the global HIV response in New York, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima painted a troubling picture of a system struggling to stay afloat amid shrinking financial support.

According to her, HIV testing rates have dropped by 22 percent in high-burden regions, leaving millions unaware of their status and allowing the virus to continue spreading beneath the radar.

She revealed that funding for condoms has nosedived by more than 90 percent in some countries, describing the development as a major blow to prevention programmes.

"Prevention is being dismantled at the very moment we should be scaling innovations like new long-acting medicines," Byanyima said.

She further noted that ...