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AIDS 2026, the 26th International AIDS Conference

AIDS 2026, the 26th International AIDS Conference

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Rise from Rio

We gathered in Rio de Janeiro, about 7,500-strong, in person and virtually from all over the world to Rethink. Rebuild. Rise. – and we leave with conviction to turn what we have learnt here into action. More than 150 sessions, 220 Global Village activities and 2,400 posters advanced the science and activism that the global response to HIV needs now.

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Over six days, the vibrancy of Rio filled the Riocentro – in the pulse of the Global Village, in the posters that drew crowds, and in the debates that carried on longer than the sessions themselves.

Delegates pushed back on complacency and forward on access to the latest tools where they are needed, for whom they are needed. And we came face to face with the real impact on people’s lives of funding cuts and geopolitical shifts – strengthening our resolve to keep the response standing and moving.

We say thank you – to every speaker, every rapporteur, every organizer, every delegate. We say thank you to the more than 200 volunteers who kept this conference running smoothly. And we say thank you to the more than 700 scholarship recipients who will take the conversations back to their communities.

We look forward to seeing you all at IAS 2027, the 14th IAS Conference on HIV Science in Geneva, Switzerland. We know we will bring what AIDS 2026 has taught us to Geneva. Rethink. Rebuild. Rise.

Access the virtual platform

All on-demand abstracts and e-posters are now available on the virtual platform. On-demand sessions will be available online four to 12 hours after they take place.

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Access the conference programme

Browse over 100 thought-provoking sessions, featuring world experts and community voices.

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ViiV AIDS26
Gilead AIDS26
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Featured speakers

E. Roberto Orellana

E. Roberto Orellana

The Abya Yala Indigenous Health Research Center, University of Washington, United States

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E. Roberto Orellana

The Abya Yala Indigenous Health Research Center, University of Washington, United States

E. Roberto Orellana was born and raised in Guatemala’s highlands, but had to leave his country due to political and structural violence that continues. He is now a Professor at the University of Washington (UW) and an Indigenous health scientist trained in psychology, social welfare and public health. His research focuses on HIV-related stigma reduction, Indigenous health equity and community‑driven interventions across the Americas. He has partnered with Indigenous communities in Peru, Guatemala and the US and on the Mexico-Guatemala border to develop interventions addressing racism, stigma, discrimination and other structural drivers of HIV and health. He has directed large biobehavioural surveillance efforts, leads the Health Access Scientific Working Group at UW’s Center for AIDS Research, and is principal investigator of KABAWIL, a stigma reduction intervention for Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala. He mentors Indigenous and minoritized scholars, and his work emphasizes culturally grounded research, Indigenous leadership and development of effective, community-centred HIV prevention strategies.

Oni Blackstock

Oni Blackstock

Health Justice, United States

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Oni Blackstock

Health Justice, United States

Oni Blackstock, MD, MHS, is a primary care and HIV physician, researcher and public health leader whose career centres on the principle that communities most affected by health inequities should lead decision making about solutions. She is the founder and Executive Director of Health Justice, a social impact consulting and research organization, where she also leads the Grounded Innovation Lab, developing community-centred frameworks for governing health AI systems. As Assistant Commissioner at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, she led the Bureau of HIV, overseeing initiatives that contributed to a record low in new HIV diagnoses citywide. Her prior research at Montefiore/Albert Einstein College of Medicine tested NIH- and CDC-funded interventions to improve HIV prevention and treatment engagement for disproportionately impacted communities. She holds degrees from Harvard College, Harvard Medical School and the Yale/RWJF Clinical Scholars Program.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

World Health Organization (WHO), Switzerland

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Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

World Health Organization (WHO), Switzerland

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is globally recognized as a health scholar, advocate and diplomat with first-hand experience in research, operations and leadership in public health. In May 2017, he became the first African to be elected Director-General of WHO. Under his leadership, WHO led the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and outbreaks of Ebola and mpox, strengthened global health security, supported countries to expand universal health coverage, raised the profile of health in climate change negotiations, and mobilized political, technical and financial commitment to address mental health and non-communicable diseases. He also led the most significant reforms in WHO’s history, making it more effective and efficient. As Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (2012-2016), Dr Tedros elevated health as a political priority and played a key role in developing the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, where 193 countries committed to financing the Sustainable Development Goals. As Ethiopia’s Minister of Health (2005-2012), he spearheaded major reforms to strengthen the national health system, advancing universal health coverage and extending services to even the most remote communities.

Winnie Byanyima

Winnie Byanyima

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Switzerland

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Winnie Byanyima

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Switzerland

Winnie Byanyima is the Executive Director of UNAIDS and an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations. A passionate and longstanding champion for social justice, she leads the United Nations’ efforts to end the AIDS pandemic by 2030. She believes that healthcare is a human right, and she is the co-founder and co-chair of the People’s Medicines Alliance, advocating for equitable access to medical technologies that help prevent and respond to current and future pandemics. Previously, she has served as the Executive Director of Oxfam International and as a member of parliament for her country, Uganda. She has been deeply involved in building global coalitions on social and economic justice, and founded the Forum for Women in Democracy, a Ugandan non-governmental organization. Winnie is also a globally respected leader on inequality, and in 2025, served on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s G20 Extraordinary Committee of Independent Experts on Global Inequality. 

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AIDS 2026 in pictures

See a selection of the latest photos from AIDS 2026.

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You can access all oral abstracts, poster exhibitions, e-posters and late breakers from AIDS 2026 for free in the abstract book.

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AIDS 2026 Daily Digest

Starting Sunday, 26 July and continuing throughout the conference, the AIDS 2026 Daily Digest will help you make the most of each day with a look at key sessions and activities for the day ahead.

Read it here
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Be a part of the movement to Rethink. Rebuild. Rise.

Share your story or message of support. Access ready-to-post language and graphics in our social toolkit. And follow us on social media.

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Language matters

At the IAS, we actively use language that puts people first. This is because words have power: they bestow or remove dignity, build or break stigma, and divide or unite the HIV response. Through the words we choose to use at the IAS, we acknowledge that a person is so much more than a condition; we promote inclusivity, dialogue and equality.

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Join the conversation #AIDS2026

For updates and announcements about AIDS 2026, follow the International AIDS Conference on BlueSky, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

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Quick links to our activities

Collaborative Initiative for Paediatric HIV Education and Research (CIPHER) Differentiated Service Delivery IAS Educational Fund HIV Vaccine Research Network IAS+ Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS) Mark Wainberg Fellowship Programme Me and My Healthcare Provider Person-Centred Care IAS Prevention Initiative Towards an HIV Cure Youth Hub

Conferences

International AIDS Conference IAS Conference on HIV Science HIV Research for Prevention Conference

Get involved

Become an IAS change maker Corporate Partnership Programme IAS membership

The IAS promotes the use of non-stigmatizing, people-first language. The translations are all automated in the interest of making our content as widely accessible as possible. Regretfully, they may not always adhere to the people-first language of the original version.