The Road to and Beyond High-Level Meetings on UHC and PPR

Thursday, June 22 at 9:00 AM ET

This webinar highlighted key opportunities for community and civil society to engage ahead of and beyond the upcoming high-level meetings on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPPR). Learning from the high-level meetings on HIV, and reflecting on the recent multi-stakeholders meetings on UHC, TB, and PPR, the webinar highlighted: key moments for civil society and communities to engage, unpack the political declarations’ languages and, holding governments accountable to their commitments.

Watch the recording.

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SA AIDS 2023

June 20, 2023

Taking place in Durban from June 20-23, the theme of the 11th South Africa AIDS Conference (SA AIDS) is “act, connect and end the epidemic”.

Registration and Draft Program
Register for the conference and view the draft program.

Research Literacy Networking Zone
At the conference, AVAC and a number of partners will be hosting the Research Literacy @ Networking Zone. More information available here.

Follow Along From Near and Far
Watch this space and/or sign up for our Advocates’ Network mailing list to stay-up-date on the latest at SA AIDS 2023. AVAC will also be posting from the conference on Twitter. Click here for the official SA AIDS Twitter account.

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Tales from Two Cities: HIV and STI research highlights from Brisbane and Chicago

August 3, 2023 at 9am ET

(Time Converter)

TCA’s invited experts will share their highlights and reflections on the HIV and STI-related science presented at two major global health conferences. These conferences include IAS 2023, taking place in Brisbane, Australia July 23 – 26 and the 2023 STI and HIV World Congress happening in Chicago (United States) from July 24 – July 27.

Speakers include:
Dr. Aniruddha Hazra – University of Chicago
Nyaradzo M Mgodi – University of Zimbabwe
Roger Pebody – NAM, Aidsmap.com
Charlie Peterson – University of Illinois – Chicago

AVAC Condemns Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023

AVAC strongly condemns Uganda’s new Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 that President Yoweri Museveni signed into law and stands in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community in Uganda.

“This newly signed legislation expands on a previous attempt to legislate hate and oppression of the LGBTQIA+ community in Uganda nearly a decade ago,” said Angelo Kaggwa-Katumba, Senior Program Manager at AVAC. “As LGBTQIA+ people and allies, AVAC and our partners have been tireless in our work to change attitudes and policy – in Uganda and around the world – because we’ve seen the direct link between criminalization and stigma and the devastating impact both have on HIV incidence. This new law is a direct violation of the health, rights and humanity of the LGBTQIA+ community, and will undermine and reverse Uganda’s progress in HIV prevention, destroying community wellbeing and taking lives along the way.”

The new law increases penalties for consensual sex among same-sex individuals, provisions that Uganda has had on the books as anti-sodomy laws from the British colonial era. It also criminalizes advocacy that supports LGBTQIA+ Ugandan rights, and could even bring death sentences, for so-called “aggravated homosexuality,” a clause that can be applied to people living with HIV, intensifying stigma and a cascade of other harms. Such provisions drive people underground, discouraging the most vulnerable populations from seeking testing, treatment and prevention, and they will setback the fight against HIV.

Advocates have pledged to challenge the constitutionality of the law before the courts, as detailed in this statement from Convening for Equality (CFE), a Ugandan LGBTQIA+ community-led Coalition working alongside a broad range of national and international partners. In addition, leaders of the Global Fund, UNAIDS and PEPFAR have also issued a Joint Statement by the Leaders of the on Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, stating their “deep concern about the harmful impact” of the law “on the health of its citizens and its impact on the AIDS response that has been successful up to now.”

“We must come together and make our voices resoundingly clear: we must stand as one, united in our determination to dismantle this oppressive regime of intolerance,” said Richard Lusimbo, a Co-Convener of CFE, Director General of the Uganda Key Populations Consortium (UKPC), and long-time AVAC partner. “Today, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment, declaring that we will not rest until the shackles of this dangerous law are broken. We will tirelessly strive until equality and justice prevail over discrimination and hate. Let this be the rallying cry igniting change, fueling our collective efforts to create a future where everyone is celebrated for their uniqueness and embraced unconditionally.”

Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act is one of the world’s most extreme anti-gay laws, in a period when several other countries, including the US, are seeing an increasing number of anti-LGBTQIA+ laws proposed.

“This law is part of a global increase in extremism focused on moralizing behavior related to sexual and reproductive health that could set back decades of progress in building community-focused health services,” said Mitchell Warren, AVAC executive director. “The now signed anti-gay bill in Uganda is the latest in a wave of anti-LGBTQIA+ actions in several countries, from arrests in Zambia to a backlash in Kenya, to anti-trans laws in several US states and elsewhere, all of which threaten lives and livelihoods, and our ability to connect key populations with the resources they need and deserve to prevent and treat HIV and to live their fullest lives. If this were happening in any one country, it would be alarming, but the fact that it’s happening in multiple countries, in multiple parts of the world, is downright chilling.”

“Global, regional, national and local leaders must stand up and fight back against these heinous laws. If we don’t deal with the fundamental reality of stigma, discrimination and criminalization, we will never end any epidemic. We stand in solidarity with all allies and partners committed to turning the tide from hate and fear to global health equity for all,” Warren added.

AVAC Partnership Strategy 2023-2026

This document lays out AVAC’s plan to transition away from traditional power structures when working with partners — from civil society advocates to scientists, policy makers, program implementers, and more. AVAC strives towards a model in which those with lived experience and field expertise have influence and equal voice in the design and delivery of plans and priorities.

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STI & HIV World Congress (ISSTDR) 2023

The STI & HIV World Congress (also known as ISSTDR) kicks off in Chicago, Illinois, USA and AVAC will be there. This is the first major face-to-face meeting of STI & HIV professionals since 2019 and one of the only spaces the global STI community comes together to promote ongoing STI research efforts and exchange information on current investigations. This is also the first time AVAC is attending ISSTDR in hopes of expanding STI advocacy and community engagement.

STI & HIV World Congress Resources 

Visit STIWatch.org, a new resource for the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) community to better understand and advocate for STI vaccine and diagnostics research, development and rollout.

STI & HIV World Congress 2023 Roadmap

Check out some AVAC-featured sessions below.

The STI Prevention Pipeline: Where Are We, and What Will It Take to Move Forward Faster?
Monday, July 24 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM in the Cadmium Room
Join us to explore the current development and implementation stages of STI vaccines and diagnostics and identify ways to accelerate research through advocacy.

Symposium: New Vaccine Approaches to STI Prevention STI Vaccine Acceptance and Equity
Tuesday, July 25 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM in Chicago 6
Join AVAC’s Alison Footman to dive into the topic of STI vaccines and equity as new interventions come into reach.

Setting Up a Remote/Home Testing STI Programme: A Practical Toolkit
Thursday, July 25 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM in Sheraton IV/V Room
Join us to explore the power of remote testing to affordably curb STI acquisitions.

Community Happy Hour 
Monday, July 24, 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Lizzie McNeill’s
Join AVAC and partners for a no frills happy hour for the STI community. All are welcome! 

ISSTDR Advocacy Zone 
Monday, July 24 to Thursday, July 27 at the Exhibit Hall
Visit the Advocacy Zone, a space to ask important questions, connect with fellow STI advocates, and begin to chart next steps in advancing STI R&D.

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AIDSImpact Conference

June 12 to 14, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and other ongoing conflicts in the world, have globally disrupted health services and affected treatment and psychosocial care of people living with HIV.

HIV prevention including HIV testing has also been negatively affected.
In order to ensure that HIV continues to feature on the worldwide agenda, focus and determination will be required.

The theme of the AIDSImpact 2023 is therefore. Power for Action Now!

Registration and more details here.

Webinar Recording on Global PPPR Equity

Global PPPR Equity: Why do we need agreements on IP and tech transfers?

Over the past two decades, HIV advocates have engaged in hard battles for equitable access to HIV/AIDS drugs and prevention options and have had some big wins. The process of these negotiations has led to strong relationships that have enshrined certain equity provisions as standard in clinical trials and manufacturing of HIV drugs. Through these battles, we’ve learned clear lessons on the necessity for such agreements and what’s required to secure them.

Throughout global PPPR agreements in 2023, governments and advocates in the Global South are asking for provisions on equity in the form of temporary IP waivers, mandatory tech transfer, and mandatory licensing for pandemic tools.

This panel discussed lessons from the HIV epidemic and explore why governments of the Global South and advocates think we still need to address ‘the IP question’.

Featured Speakers included Fifa Rahman, Brook Baker, Fitsum Lakew, and Esteban Burrone

Watch the recording here.

PPPR Advocacy 101: Find out what it means to you

Over the coming months, global leaders will make key decisions about several initiatives to prepare for the next pandemic. What they commit to and how much they will spend, and how well these plans incorporate equity as a principle across all of these agreements, is in question.

Deadlines for civil society to influence these decisions are coming up. There’s a Pandemic Fund. There’s a Pandemic Accord. There are UN High-Level Meetings. There’s also something called the Medical Countermeasures, or MCM, platform. The MCM platform would coordinate drugs, vaccines and other equipment for health emergencies.

In our last podcast, we spoke with Chris Collins, President of Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, TB and Malaria about all these efforts. Ultimately, these decisions will build a new architecture for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response, or PPPR.

Chris and the HIV community have been calling for stronger health systems and expanded domestic funding for health, and have been pushing for a rights-based approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response—one that builds on the decades of advocacy that has shaped the response to HIV.

But it’s not clear whether planning for the next pandemic is heeding these lessons.

Karrar Karrar, who heads up Health Policy at Save the Children, and Samantha Rick, who leads AVAC’s PPPR policy advocacy, have been tracking these efforts closely. They are joining us today to explain exactly what commitments for equity are needed and who needs to hear this advocacy and when.

Listen

Transcript

Resources

Avac Event

Global PPPR Equity: Why do we need agreements on IP and tech transfers?

April 6, 2023, 9:00AM Washington/2:00PM London/4:00PM Nairobi

Over the past two decades, HIV advocates have engaged in hard battles for equitable access to HIV/AIDS drugs and prevention options and have had some big wins. The process of these negotiations has led to strong relationships that have enshrined certain equity provisions as standard in clinical trials and manufacturing of HIV drugs. Through these battles, we’ve learned clear lessons on the necessity for such agreements and what’s required to secure them.

Throughout global PPPR agreements in 2023, governments and advocates in the Global South are asking for provisions on equity in the form of temporary IP waivers, mandatory tech transfer, and mandatory licensing for pandemic tools.

This panel will discuss lessons from the HIV epidemic and explore why governments of the Global South and advocates think we still need to address ‘the IP question’.

Featured Speakers: Fifa Rahman, Brook Baker, Fitsum Lakew, and moderated by Samantha Rick, AVAC

Register here.