Our pānui to all parties...
Commit to zero local HIV transmissions by 2030.
That's the tea, the kupu, the call. With the General Election inching ever closer (you better be registered to vote, btw), the Burnett Foundation urges all political parties to commit to the goal of zero local HIV transmissions by 2030.
Like the many community kaupapa engaged in HIV services, we have seen the positive results of our mahi, with 2025 marking another year that recorded HIV diagnoses dropped. On the flip side, it's brought the inequities that still exist for some communities into sharp focus, too.
In kōrero with our Chief Executive, Liz Gibbs, we discuss our position for continued government engagement with the national HIV response below.
“With numbers tracking downwards in recent years, we have a real shot at becoming the first country to eliminate local transmissions. However, that won’t happen without the support of whoever forms the next government,” said Gibbs.
Better medicine funding, increased testing, and reductions in stigma and racial inequity are all necessary to eliminate local transmissions.
Our Roadmap to Zero, which we distributed to candidates from all parties today, outlines the practical steps needed to reach our goal by the end of the decade.
"The progress we’ve made so far in reducing local transmissions was only possible because of the continuity in support from successive governments," said Gibbs.
And it’s only through this spirit that we can get to zero.
The roadmap outlines four key priorities. Collectively, we need to expand our population's access to prevention tools (like PrEP) and modern ART medicines, make it easier for people to engage with HIV testing, address health inequities experienced by Māori, and continue all efforts to reduce the stigma that still surrounds HIV.
From the 2025 HIV epidemiological findings, we discovered that almost half of HIV diagnoses in 2025 were diagnosed late. Additionally, New Zealand continues to lag behind comparable countries when it comes to funding and approving modern HIV medicine. We're advocating for faster access to new treatments, including long-acting injectables like Cabuneva, and broader access to HIV prevention services.
Eliminating local HIV transmission is not only a health goal, it's an economic one.
"Earlier diagnosis, better access to treatment and wider uptake of prevention tools reduce lifelong health costs and prevent future infections," said Gibbs.
We're also urging parties to commit to targeted action that addresses health inequities. In 2025, diagnoses for Māori represented a quarter of all locally acquired HIV cases, despite making up a much smaller proportion of the population.
“Future progress depends on solutions designed by, with, and for Māori communities,” said Gibbs.
Reducing stigma and historical fear around the virus is the first of many steps toward getting more eligible folk into testing clinics.
Too many New Zealanders still hold outdated beliefs about HIV.
"Stigma discourages people from getting tested, accessing prevention tools, and seeking care. If we want to reach zero local transmissions, we need to ensure that people feel safe, supported, and informed," said Gibbs.
At its essence, HIV stigma is a hangover from times passed. It is related to our belief systems, largely ingrained at a time when misinformation and homophobia dominated public discourse.
In 2026, Aotearoa has a genuine opportunity to achieve something that would be internationally significant. Zero local HIV transmissions by 2030 is within reach. Now we need political leaders to help us get there.