HIV Prevention R&D at Risk

Tracking the Impact of US Funding Cuts

The US presidential administration is actively working to dismantle HIV research and demolish the architecture of global health. The entire HIV response — from basic research and clinical development to policy, programs, and global access to life-saving treatment and prevention — is now under attack, and the world runs the risk of reversing the strides made to end HIV.

AVAC has put together this report, highlighting the impact of US cuts on the pipeline of HIV prevention research and development. AVAC will continue to track these cuts and their impact, to amplify the damage they will cause, and to fight for their reversal.

Why HIV Prevention Must Not Be Left Behind

In this presentation at the INTEREST 2025 conference, Rhoda Msiska of Copper Rose Zambia emphasizes the urgency of protecting the progress made in scaling up PrEP and the need to act now to expand access to new HIV prevention tools like injectable lenacapavir (LEN) and the Dual Prevention Pill (DPP).

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. In a lecture at Oxford University, AVAC Executive Director Mitchell Warren provided updates on AVAC’s court challenge against the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID and offer his insights into what a more resilient global health funding infrastructure could look like. Slides are available.

Impact of PEPFAR’s Stop Work Order on PrEP

The impact of the stop-work order on PrEP is expected to be severe. In a set of slides and on our website, PrEPWatch, we have posted the results of an analysis drawing on key informant interviews with representatives of Ministries of Health and PrEP implementers between 27 January 2025, when stop-work orders were issued by the US government, and the end of February 2025, when the vast majority of USAID-funded projects received official termination notices. Find the latest here.

Diversity, Equity and Access to HIV Research

On May 2, 2024, AVAC staffer Jessica Salzwedel gave a presentation on diversity, equity and access in HIV research at the Ending the HIV Epidemic Conference at Weill Cornell Medicine. Check out the full presentation in PDF format.

“When we think about what engagement is important for research, it involves building systems of trust.” – Jessica Salzwedel

CAB for PrEP for Advocates

Basics of Injectable Cabotegravir for HIV Prevention

This wide-ranging presentation introduces advocates to cabotegravir injectable PrEP. The slides provide a background on clinical research, what users think, regulatory status and prepares advocates for implementation.

Celebrating the Role of Communities: A focus on choice in HIV prevention

Presentation given by Rosemary Mburu, Executive Director of WACI Health, on World AIDS Day 2022 describing her organization and providing a short overview of the field.

HIV Testing for Advocates

Basics of HIV Testing and Implications for HIV Prevention

This slide deck provides and overview of HIV testing—types of test, WHO guidelines, current issues in testing, looking ahead, resources and more.

Product Introduction for Advocates

Basic Elements of Product Introduction for HIV Prevention

This slide deck provides an overview of product introduction, the process of moving products to the “real world”— an interrelated set of actions needed for global and national health systems to incorporate and deliver new, improved or underused technologies.

What’s New & Next in HIV Prevention

A quick but comprehensive slideshow review by AVAC Executive Director Mitchell Warren reviewing the state of HIV prevention, forthcoming products, and what needs to come next. Much accomplished; much to do.

Download the original PPT.