A vaccine could be the key to ending the HIV pandemic by reducing new infections and the need for lifelong treatment. Though antiretroviral therapies have helped over 30 million people globally and led to an 80% drop in new infections in Kenya, shifts in global aid priorities threaten these gains. To sustain progress, it’s essential to expand access to new long-acting prevention methods like injectable PrEP and continue investing in innovative research. Promising vaccine approaches, such as germline-targeting to produce broadly neutralising antibodies, could pave the way for long-term protection and a sustainable, HIV-free future.