IAS Digest: Promoting the latest research
Our third edition of the IAS Digest is dedicated to promoting the latest research. We showcase IAS-led sessions at AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, held in July, focused on some of the most pressing issues in today's HIV response. These sessions were led by our dedicated programme teams, who work year-round to advance progress in these critical areas.
Towards an HIV Cure
Three of the people known to have been cured of HIV – the London Patient, City of Hope Patient and Dusseldorf Patient – participated in the pre-conference, “Towards a truly global HIV cure”, organized by Towards an HIV Cure. This was the first time they shared their lived experiences of being cured. Sharing their stories inspires the scientific and broader community to continue advocating and researching for a cure.
The pre-conference also reflected on current research directions, scientific and structural challenges and opportunities of conducting HIV cure research, and expanding efforts across regions, with a particular emphasis on how to adequately communicate cure research and challenges.
Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise
Despite advances in the treatment and prevention of HIV, about 1.3 million people acquired HIV in 2023. Access to biomedical prevention products varies greatly by country and the uptake remains challenging. Sessions organized by the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise at AIDS 2024, including the pre-conference, “Shutting out HIV: Exploring Key Immune Strategies of HIV Vaccines”, highlighted the progress and challenges.
The session, “Ending AIDS as a public health threat: The role of a vaccine in the era of long-acting PrEP”, brought together global experts and community stakeholders. They acknowledged the importance of the PURPOSE 1 trial results, which showed that a twice-yearly injection of lenacapavir leads to 100% protection against HIV acquisition, but stressed that a vaccine remains essential to ending the pandemic. Satellites highlighted cross-cutting priority actions to accelerate use of bNAbs in peri- and post-natal prophylaxis and unpacked innovative strategies to engage with communities and strengthen the coordination of HIV vaccine products in early-stage development.
Collaborative Initiative for Paediatric HIV Education and Research (CIPHER)
Children with perinatal HIV exposure often struggle with cognitive development and school performance, underscoring the need for targeted interventions. This was highlighted by research findings presented at the pre-conference, “10th symposium on children and adolescents with perinatal HIV exposure”, organized by CIPHER.
Additionally, differentiated service delivery approaches can ensure that both breastfeeding mothers and children receive the care and support they need. The findings call for urgent action to address these complex issues and improve outcomes for these vulnerable populations.
Differentiated Service Delivery
Differentiated service delivery (DSD) is not limited to HIV. It offers benefits to all people who require long-term medication and follow-up, as explored in the pre-conference, “Differentiated service delivery beyond HIV treatment: Learnings from and for NCDs and family planning towards integrated DSD”, organized by the IAS Differentiated Service Delivery programme.
The session, “Differentiated strategies to support sustained engagement and re-engagement in HIV services in eastern and southern Africa”, highlighted the many factors contributing to disengagement from HIV treatment services. Country case studies illustrated the role of DSD in preventing disengagement and sustaining re-engagement in HIV treatment services.
A new WHO policy brief on re-engagement, launched at AIDS 2024, provides guidance for differentiated re-engagement and outlines elements to consider when defining DSD pathways to support re-engagement.
Person-Centred Care
It is increasingly recognized that healthcare for people living with and affected by HIV must be person-centred – realized through integrating other health issues and being responsive to the evolving needs, priorities and preferences of each person. The IAS Person-Centred Care programme convened experts to define and explore these concepts, as well as recommendations to achieve these goals.
The global consensus statement on the role of person-centred care in the HIV response, presented at AIDS 2024, proposes definitions and demonstrates the level of consensus across thematic domains. It includes recommendations on social participation, funding needs, integration in primary healthcare and long-term quality of life. This consensus aims to guide and support organizations, groups and individuals as they work towards realizing the full potential of person-centred care within and beyond the HIV response.
Heart of Stigma
During AIDS 2024, Germany announced that it will become the 39th country to join the Global Partnership for Action to Eliminate all Forms of HIV-Related Stigma and Discrimination. Communities of people living with and affected by HIV have persistently called for action on HIV-related stigma and discrimination, which remains an enormous obstacle to ending HIV as a threat to public health and individual well-being.
Work being done in Angola, Thailand, Spain, Ukraine and Jamaica to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination was highlighted. Also, governments and civil society representatives discussed lessons learnt and opportunities for future engagement.
Community-Led Monitoring
Community-led monitoring (CLM) has had remarkable impacts on health services. It is an evidence-informed mechanism through which communities identify and articulate the health issues, service issues and/or inequalities they face.
The full-day pre-conference, “Community-led monitoring in a changing world”, organized by the IAS Community-Led Monitoring programme, explored the impacts of CLM to date and discussed this powerful social accountability mechanism as well as its future. The sessions touched on a range of issues, including maintaining the independence of CLM, integrating digital technology, forging strong civil society-government partnerships, and ensuring that CLM programmes are protected in all contexts.
Me and My Healthcare Provider Campaign
The Me and My Healthcare Provider Campaign called on clients, providers and stakeholders in the HIV response to share use of best practices, innovative solutions, non-stigmatizing language and personal impact, using the hashtag, #StigmaFreeCare.
The call to action highlighted the transformative power of inclusive, non-stigmatizing healthcare, amplifying voices from across the community: it reached over 700,000 people on social media, and nearly 200 users of social media shared their experiences. This social media drive focused on showcasing best practices and innovative solutions to eliminate stigma in care, emphasizing the profound personal impact of stigma-free environments.
Tune in to the latest episode of HIV unmuted as host Juan Michael Porter II sits down with Jeanne Marrazzo, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. In this inspiring conversation, Dr Marrazzo shares her journey from Scranton to becoming a trailblazer in HIV research and prevention. Discover her insights on addressing global health inequities, advancing new HIV prevention strategies, and shaping the future of HIV science.
Parliamentary leadership in HIV
Over 370 Members of Parliament from over 45 countries united at AIDS 2024 to put people first in rebuilding political support for ending HIV transmissions as part of the Global Parliamentary Platform on HIV and AIDS founding declaration. The event featured MPs from Argentina, Germany, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe and addressed the waning political commitment to the HIV response.
IAS–Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights
Commitment to human rights has deteriorated in the 21st century, with increasingly damaging effects on health. The International AIDS Society–Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights shared its findings and recommendations in a symposium at AIDS 2024.
Rapporteur summaries from AIDS 2024
The rapporteur summaries are your go-to resources for the highlights presented at AIDS 2024. Thanks to the AIDS 2024 team of experts, you can access daily recaps by each programme track.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Journal of the International AIDS Society launched three supplements at AIDS 2024. These drew lessons from real-world intervention strategies to address remaining gaps in the global public health response to HIV:
Announcing the new IAS President
The International AIDS Society welcomed Beatriz Grinsztejn from Brazil as President. Grinsztejn, a leading infectious disease physician-researcher, co-founded FIOCRUZ HIV/AIDS Service, the largest care provider in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and has served as Director of the HIV/AIDS Clinical Research Unit at the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases - FIOCRUZ for 25 years.
Women in the lead
For the first time in history, women are occupying leadership positions at many of the most prestigious HIV and public health institutions and organizations around the world. They are shaping the future of the global HIV response. This article from amfAR Innovations shines a spotlight on IAS President Beatriz Grinsztejn, Immediate Past President Sharon Lewin and Executive Director Birgit Poniatowski.
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