March 25, 2026
The Impact Report highlights the power of advocacy, research translation, and partnership to advance HIV prevention and global health equity. In this first edition:
- The introduction of lenacapavir (LEN) for PrEP in Zambia
- How AVAC and partners are standing up for science
- New efforts to translate evidence for decision making
Strengthening access planning: The launch of lenacapavir in Zambia
Zambia remains among the top ten countries most affected by HIV globally, despite significant progress over the past decade to reduce new infections. Sustaining these gains—and continuing to drive down incidence—requires ongoing prioritization of differentiated prevention methods that meet the diverse needs of communities.
Against this backdrop, lenacapavir (LEN) for PrEP, a six-month injectable, responds to community demands for flexible and acceptable prevention options. Just 18 months after groundbreaking Phase II trial results were announced at the AIDS 2024 conference, Zambia administered its first injections of LEN for PrEP at a World AIDS Day (WAD) commemoration on December 1, 2025. As one of five African countries to implement LEN to date (just months after the approval and launch in the US), this milestone represents a new record for speed in launching a new prevention product, and reflects the culmination of sustained advocacy and strong stakeholder collaboration. The progress made in reducing new HIV infections in Zambia can be attributed to the Ministry of Health’s (MOH’s) commitment to expanding the national prevention ‘basket of choices’—enabling meaningful collaboration across civil society groups, donors, product developers, and global advocates, aligned around a shared strategy to support LEN rollout.
To support Zambia’s readiness for LEN introduction, AVAC provided targeted technical support while also laying critical groundwork across the region in anticipation of rollout. Leveraging its role as a global convener, leading advocacy voice, and secretariat of the Coalition to Accelerate Access to Long-Acting PrEP, AVAC helped align efforts across early adopter countries, including Zambia.
Standing up for science: The fight to save HIV research
On March 7, 2026, advocates and concerned citizens observed a National Day of Action to Stand Up for Science, taking to streets, airwaves, and the internet to raise awareness about the ongoing threats posed to science and public health by the current US administration. In this environment, AVAC has continued to serve as a champion for research, and continuing to call on policymakers and donors to defend against harmful cuts that aim to dismantle US global leadership in biomedical research.
Since January 2025, AVAC and partners have defended the critical role of research. One of the greatest milestones in this defense was seen in rapid response to attacks by this administration, when AVAC worked with a volunteer coalition of the nation’s leading HIV researchers and advocates to organize and host the 24-Hour Marathon to Save AIDS Research. The virtual marathon provides 24-hours of interactive presentations, discussions, and learning sessions about the lifesaving contributions of HIV research and what is at stake if funding continues to be stripped away. Using convening power, research expertise, and research translation, this group of dedicated individuals brought advocates and researchers together in solidarity and shared critical messages about why HIV research matters with the larger global community.
Bridging the gap between science and communities: Delivering accessible information and leading global conversations
In an era of misinformation and scientific skepticism, access to credible, clear information on HIV is critical. Principles of Good Participatory Practice (GPP) in research and rollout hinge on data being accessible, understandable, and actionable. Yet the gap persists between global scientific forums, like the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), and the information broader audiences can actually access, digest, and act on. To meet this need, AVAC translates complex science into accessible resources and ensures it reaches advocates, communities, and decision-makers to advance strong, community-centered HIV prevention research, policies, and rollout plans. From proactively disseminating resources for use at CROI, to convening real-time discussion spaces, and sharing digestible recaps and first-person perspectives from staff attending the conference, AVAC served as a key source for close watchers of HIV science news.