Avac Event

Science in the Crosshairs: Research Advocacy in a Time of Crisis

AVAC and partners had a critical conversation on the escalating threats to health research and equity-centered science. This webinar unpacked the implications of the proposed FY2026 US federal budget—which includes sweeping cuts to NIH, CDC, USAID, and the elimination of vital global and minority health research programs. Together, we explored what these attacks mean for communities, researchers, and implementers and identified actionable advocacy strategies to fight back.

Recording / Slides / Resources

Avac Event

Politics and Global Health: The Need for a New, Resilient Architecture

Recent, dramatic shifts in global health funding include cuts to US and UK foreign aid. This has had a cascade of devastating consequences on treatment and prevention programmes, including for HIV and TB across the globe. Mitchell Warren provided updates on AVAC’s court challenge against the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID and offered his insights into what a more resilient global health funding infrastructure could look like.

Avac Event

Self-Care in an Era of Misinformation and Disinformation

Join The Reunion Project on April 9 from 1-2:30pm ET for the next webinar in our Long-term Survivor Toolkit series where we will consider strategies to prioritize our own self-care and wellness and by doing so, support the community around us. We are living in trying times and it is important now more than ever to check in with ourselves and each other. Together we will make a plan and take action.

We will be joined by featured speaker Kenyon Farrow—American writer, activist, director, and educator focused on progressive racial and economic justice issues related to the LGBTQIA+ community. We will also be joined by a panel of community members who will share their own experiences and practices when considering their own self-care and wellness routines as people living with HIV. Let’s join together and lift each other up.

Avac Event

WHO-Lancet Global Health Series: Shaping the Future of Clinical Trials

WHO and partners will convene to launch the Lancet Global health series: Shaping the Future of Clinical Trials. Details and registration link below.

Avac Event

Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Moving forward post-the 2024 US Election

Held on March 12, you can view the event recording below.

Featuring:

  • Sekai Chikowero, Vice President of Programs, EngenderHealth
  • Francine Coeytaux, Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor, Plan C Pills
  • Eszter Kismödi, Chief Executive, Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters
  • Mitchell Warren, Executive Director, AVAC

Avac Event

State of PEPFAR

Join the Congressional Caucus on Black Women & Girls Co-Chairs Robin Kelly (IL-02), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and the Global AIDS Policy Partnership for a hybrid briefing discussing the current status of PEPFAR programming, the significant impact PEPFAR has on Black Women globally, and the consequences that follow terminated funding.

Avac Event

Can Africa Finance its Own Non-profit Sector?

The webinar will explore whether shifts in the US government’s funding is a setback or an opportunity to rethink Africa’s reliance on Western aid.

Featuring:

  • Angelo Katumba — Senior Program Manager: AVAC
  • Yvette Raphael — Executive Director of Advocates for the Prevention of HIV in Africa
  • Dr. Michael Kiragu — AICS Associate & Grant Fundraising Expert

Avac Event

The Impact and Implications of Recent US Government Federal Funding Reductions on Health Programmes

The University of the Witwatersrand‘s Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics presented a webinar featuring:

  • Mia Malan, founder and editor-in-chief of the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism – an independent media organisation that specialises in narrative, solutions journalism focusing on health and social justice issues across Africa.
  • Dr Ntombifikile Nokwethemba Mtshali, Chief Executive Officer of Shout-It-Now, an organisation focused on providing sexual and reproductive health and rights services
    to youth in the Gauteng and North-West provinces.
  • Mitchell Warren, Executive Director of AVAC – an advocacy organisation focused on accelerating access to effective HIV prevention options and ensuring access to everyone who needs them. Mitchell also worked with Population Services International (PSI) designing and implementing social marketing, communications and health promotion activities, including five years running PSI’s project in South Africa.

Avac Event

Updates to the PEPFAR Stop-Work Order and the Role of CCM

Join AVAC, COMPASS and other partners to update CCMs on the PEPFAR freeze.

Avac Event

Introducing the Dual Prevention Pill: Lessons Learned and What’s Next for Regulatory, Research, and Rollout

This webinar has been cancelled because funding was pulled by the new US administration. Follow critical developments in US policies and their impact on global health via our new newsletter. Learn more here.

Join the IMPT and guest speakers from AVAC and Population Council for a discussion on the dual prevention pill (DPP)—a single pill that combines oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and oral contraception (OC) to prevent HIV and pregnancy. If approved, the DPP will be the first multi-purpose prevention technology (MPT) to be marketed since condoms.

The discussion will include real-time learnings to inform the broader MPT field on the DPP’s regulatory approval process, acceptability study results in South Africa and Zimbabwe, implementation updates, and lessons learned. 

There will be a Q&A session following the presentations.