As the world marks the 40th anniversary of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, we ask what impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on HIV programmes around the world. Talha Burki reports.Last year, UNAIDS warned that if the COVID19 pandemic interrupted access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for 6 months, subSaharan Africa could see an additional 500000 deaths from AIDSrelated illnesses. Thankfully, the world has avoided such a catastrophe (at least, for now). The global HIV/AIDS data for 2020 have not yet been released, but the indications are that provision of ART has largely been maintained.