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Fri, 29 Jul - Tue, 2 Aug 2022
The 24th International AIDS Conference
For the first time, the world’s largest conference on HIV and AIDS will be hosted in person in Montreal, Canada, as well as virtually, to make it accessible to as many people as possible.
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27 Jul 2022
Getting to the Heart of Stigma Pre-conference
This pre-conference is a thought-leadership symposium seeking to present, discuss and interrogate the state-of-the-field evidence base for HIV-related stigma. It will be a platform to discuss global financial, strategic and programmatic efforts to contextualize, implement and scale up effective stigma reduction and mitigation interventions. The latest results from a global systematic review will be presented, alongside nuanced national case studies and examples of good practice, to situate the evidence base considering day-to-day realities for different communities in specific socio-cultural and policy contexts. The symposium will also feature discussions based on current policy guidelines, original global and country-level research, and political documents to guide progress on stigma reduction and mitigation around the world. Expert speakers and participants will come from the whole spectrum of health (for example, psychology and mental health, general practice, nursing and midwifery, and sexual and reproductive health), as well as other sectors, such as education and justice. The programme will be of interest to a diverse audience, including participants from a background in policy, research, community activism, funding and grant making, politics and healthcare and people living with HIV. Coupled with the thorough context-specific review of existing evidence, this multidisciplinary and multisectoral engagement will not only amplify and accelerate attention to stigma, but is intended to broaden expert discussions about effective programming, measurement and concepts relating to stigma in ways that catalyse lateral thinking and lead to improved interventions. The pre-conference will take place on Wednesday, 27 July. The programme is as follows: Session 1: Leadership, 09:00 – 10:00 The opening session celebrates the courageous individuals and interventions that effectively challenge stigma and seek redress for discrimination. This session aims to inspire greater leadership to address stigma at scale. Session 2: State of the field evidence review, 10:15 – 11:15 The latest findings from a global systematic evidence review and progress towards consensus to guide scaled-up practical action will be presented. The comments will be framed within the context of progress, focusing on interventions and practical implications of research. Session 3: Uniting for a common vision and acknowledging local realities, 11:30 – 12:30 This session will debate how best to move forward by better documenting processes, evaluating progress, measuring change over time and maximizing learning across disciplines so that the specific context can also inform a broader view. Session 4: Role of partnerships in funding comprehensive responses to stigma and discrimination, 14:00 – 15:00 The session will explore the resourcing barriers and opportunities for joining up to reduce stigma at scale, including coordination between financing processes and organizations to be informed by evidence and fund strategies that work. Session 5: Addressing stigma is not enough, 15:15 – 16:15 Looking forward, we know that addressing stigma alone is not enough and addressing HIV-related stigma (in isolation) is not enough. Frameworks and visions that seek to strengthen efforts to address stigma must resonate within the broader programmatic approaches and commitments to achieving the societal enablers targets and improving or informing programmes and advocacy. The final session will explore how the inclusion of commitments toward eliminating HIV-related stigma and discrimination within the Political Declaration agreed at the 2021 United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS for the first time also signals a conducive global political environment for action at scale. Sessions will be interactive and include expert presentations with the opportunity to engage in discussion for those participating in person or virtually, as well as some smaller group discussions. We are grateful to the organizing committee, which has put together a strong and interesting programme: Lucy Stackpool-Moore, IAS – International AIDS Society, Switzerland and Watipa, Australia Sbongile Nkosi, Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), South Africa Alexandrina Iovita, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Switzerland Leickness Simbayi, Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), South Africa Carmen Logie, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto; Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital and Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Canada Laura Waters, British HIV Association (BHIVA), UK Ani Shakarishvili, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Switzerland James Hargreaves, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), UK Pascal Macharia, Health Options for Young Men on HIV/AIDS/STI (HOYMAS, )Kenya Erika Castellanos, Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE), The Netherlands We hope that you can join us in Montreal or virtually and sign up to join the IAS Community of Practice for getting to the heart of stigma.
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28 Jul 2022
Pathways to an HIV cure: Research and advocacy priorities
IAS – the International AIDS Society – through its Towards an HIV Cure programme, is organizing the annual HIV cure meeting just before AIDS 2022, the 24th International AIDS Conference. The hybrid meeting is organized in partnership with the Canadian HIV Cure Enterprise (CanCURE) and the FRQS - AIDS and Infectious Diseases Research Network. It will take place in person at the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) and virtually on 28 July 2022. The meeting programme is designed to reflect the “Research priorities for an HIV cure: IAS Global Scientific Strategy 2021”, published in Nature Medicine. The sessions will highlight cure advances globally and promising research strategies while translating the latest science and incorporating diverse perspectives on HIV cure. The meeting will be free of charge and open to anyone interested in learning about the HIV cure field. Specific attention will be given to ensuring access to local community members, and a dedicated scholarship programme will engage researchers and advocates working in countries with limited resources for an HIV cure.
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15 Jun 2022
IAS welcomes Dr John Nkengasong as head of PEPFAR
IAS – the International AIDS Society – welcomes the appointment of Dr John Nkengasong as the head of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Dr Nkengasong was sworn in as U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Special Representative for Health Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State on 13 June 2022. In this role, he leads, manages and oversees PEPFAR. Born in Cameroon, Dr Nkengasong has worked for many years in Africa, the world’s most heavily HIV-affected region where many PEPFAR programmes are implemented. “Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, PEPFAR has proven remarkably resilient in protecting and advancing hard-fought gains against HIV as well as creating the backbone to fight COVID-19 and other global health threats,” Dr Nkengasong wrote in his arrival message. “I know all this to be true, as I have lived and seen firsthand the positive impact it has had on people around the globe.” IAS President Adeeba Kamarulzaman said: “Dr John Nkengasong's leadership is critical to advance the tremendous gains made by PEPFAR in regions most affected by the HIV pandemic that have had a significant setback as a result of COVID-19 and address the inequities, stigma and discrimination that still hinder the HIV response.” Dr Nkengasong, a virologist, is the first person of African origin to lead PEPFAR in its 18-year history. Previously, he served as the Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Under his leadership, the Africa CDC trained and empowered young African scientists and improved COVID-19 testing and access to vaccines. This is a new chapter for PEPFAR. With Dr Nkengasong’s swearing in at PEPFAR, the IAS looks forward to enhanced global collaboration towards our shared goal of strengthening and sustaining the HIV response. Forty years since AIDS was first reported, 38 million people are estimated to be living with HIV worldwide.
Read more IAS welcomes Dr John Nkengasong as head of PEPFAR