Rethink.
Rebuild.
Rise.
AIDS 2026, the 26th International AIDS Conference, takes place under the theme Rethink. Rebuild. Rise.
AIDS 2026 is a rallying point for the global response at a time of profound change in the HIV funding landscape, bringing together people living with HIV, researchers, policy makers, healthcare professionals, funders, media and communities – to rethink, rebuild and rise.
Get involved
We invite partners everywhere to amplify our collective call to action and carry forward the momentum on the journey toward AIDS 2026.
A truly effective response means rethinking outdated models, rebuilding systems to put people first, and rising together through inclusive policies, innovation and sustained collaboration.
Access our social toolkit and join the movement to #RethinkRebuildRise.
The HIV response has always been defined by resilience, overcoming challenges through innovation, collaboration and activism. We will need to draw deeply on that resilience in the years to come. The HIV response must rethink its approach as shifting geopolitics and funding crises threaten progress. Sustainable funding requires countries to rethink financing through domestic investment, innovative models and private sector engagement.
We must rebuild momentum, protecting service infrastructure and advancing science. Defending scientific freedom, evidence-based policies and civil society spaces is critical to help the HIV response rise above misinformation and censorship.
An evidence-based, resilient, fully funded HIV response requires us to rethink, rebuild and rise with effective policy making, a commitment to innovation and strong collaboration.
The IAS has chosen the same theme for World AIDS Day 2025 and AIDS 2026 to build momentum and a shared global narrative. By uniting behind a single call — to rethink, rebuild and rise — the HIV response can speak with one voice across communities, countries and conferences.
The Road to Rio: Advancing HIV prevention access amid global health financing uncertainty
What is the Road to Rio initiative?
Through its Road to Rio initiative, the IAS is supporting the development of regionally led HIV prevention priorities that reflect both scientific evidence and community priorities in the lead up to AIDS 2026. By complementing and amplifying efforts already underway, the IAS supports a collective drumbeat within and beyond the HIV response, accelerating progress towards ending AIDS as a public health threat.
How does the Road to Rio initiative connect to the AIDS 2026 theme, Rethink. Rebuild. Rise.?
The Road to Rio is an IAS initiative that brings the theme, Rethink. Rebuild. Rise., to life in the lead up to AIDS 2026. It translates the conference theme into action by supporting a coordinated, regionally led HIV prevention movement that reflects both scientific evidence and community priorities.
What is the Kigali Declaration?
The Kigali Declaration emerged as a powerful global call to action at IAS 2025, the 13th IAS Conference on HIV Science, in Kigali, Rwanda. The declaration united over 750 scientists, academics, advocates, clinicians, programme implementers, elected officials and public health leaders in recommitting to five core actions to sustain the HIV response. The IAS is working to leverage its convening power and global voice to support these core actions as part of the Road to Rio initiative.
The five core actions of the Kigali Declaration are:
- Embracing meaningful partnerships
- Supporting global HIV research
- Prioritizing HIV prevention
- Protecting human rights
- Rejecting the politicization of science
How does the Road to Rio advance the Kigali Declaration?
The IAS Road to Rio initiative:
- Supports development of shared, regionally driven visions in the HIV response, including evidence-based messages to sustain prioritization of HIV prevention in national strategies and budgets
- Strengthens understanding of and access to HIV prevention and implementation science to support leadership and advocacy
- Enhances opportunities for exchange and joint vision building between scientists and advocates within and beyond the HIV response
Why is the Road to Rio important for AIDS 2026?
AIDS 2026 is our platform to get back on the road to a renewed, united and effective response that realizes a world where no one is left behind. Together, we can chart a path towards a future where HIV no longer presents a threat to public health and individual well-being.
