Avac Event

The Fight for Health Justice in an Age of Retreat

Avac Event

Urgent PEPFAR Bridge Planning Webinar

PEPFAR launched its “Bridge Planning” process on September 5, with country plans due September 25 and approval by September 30. This fast timeline risks excluding community and civil society voices, despite their critical role in shaping effective, sustainable HIV responses. Reports indicate limited to no community participation in many African partner countries, undermining rights-based, participatory planning.

Eannaso is hosting this emergency webinar to convene stakeholders to strategize collective advocacy for meaningful civil society engagement in this urgent process.

Avac Event

Will Lenacapavir be a Lever or a Let-Down? Lessons, Resources and Considerations for Implementation in the United States

Approved in July, lenacapavir for PrEP has tremendous potential to increase access and engagement in the United States, reaching individuals who have been unable to embrace PrEP in its previous formulations. The Choice Agenda and the HIV BLUPrInt team for a deep dive into rolling out lenacapavir (Yeztugo) in the US. Speakers summarized lessons, previewed existing resources, and called for expanded research and practice models that use lenacapavir as a lever to increase HIV prevention access, empowerment, and reach.

Recording / Slides / Resources

Avac Event

24 Hours to Save AIDS Research

Over the past four decades, HIV research has saved tens of millions of lives through discoveries in HIV treatment and prevention, with the US federal government playing a foundational role in that success. Unprecedented assaults on science and research and the systematic dismantling of federal institutions over the past months risk those accomplishments. These unparalleled budget cuts and project terminations will set the HIV/AIDS response back years, if not decades.

It’s not too late to change that! The commitment and actions of the scientific and advocacy community have been successful in reversing some of these funding decisions and we need to keep up the pressure.

Join us on September 16 starting at 11:00 ET as scientists, researchers, and advocates from around the world describe what has been achieved through decades of federal investments and what we stand to lose. Don’t miss the opportunity to come together in community as we share insights, answer questions, and inspire action.

Avac Event

20th European AIDS Conference (EACS 2025)

The European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) invites you to join the 20th European Conference that will take place in the Palais des Congrès in Paris, France. It will be an unforgettable conference with great keynote and plenary lectures. The EACS Conference will be a hub for clinicians, researchers, community and activists. Presented live by experts, you will be introduced to innovations and topics at the forefront of HIV medicine.

Conference Website

Avac Event

International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP 2025)

Since its inaugural convening in Kampala, Uganda in 2009, the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) has grown into more than just a conference. It has become a global community, a dynamic movement, and a trusted digital platform advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all.

ICFP brings together researchers, governments, advocates, health equity champions, and local communities to celebrate progress, pledge new commitments, and chart the way forward. Rooted in collaboration, inclusivity, innovation, and scientific integrity, it serves as a strategic inflection point for advancing universal access to family planning and reproductive health.

The ICFP 2025 theme, “Equity Through Action: Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All,” reflects the urgency of addressing systemic inequities through innovative solutions and concrete commitments. Participants will have access to a wide range of sessions—from plenaries, panel discussions, and debates to workshops, side events, and networking opportunities—all designed to spark dialogue, strengthen partnerships, and inspire action.

Visit the ICFP Website

Avac Event

International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2025)

As seismic shifts in global health funding and strategy unfold, the 2025 International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), happening December 3–8 in Accra, Ghana, comes at a pivotal time. For more than three decades, ICASA has served as a critical platform founded by African scientists, activists, and advocates to fight stigma, drive research, and elevate African leadership in the HIV response. This year, this mission is more urgent than ever. 

AVAC and partners will be in Accra to meet this moment. On December 2, we are joining partners to co-host the 8th Biomedical HIV Prevention Forum (BHPF), an official ICASA pre-conference with the theme Advancing Biomedical HIV Prevention as a National Priority Through Choice.

This forum will bring together prevention champions; advocates, civil society representatives, researchers, youth leaders, development partners, and government officials from the Ministries of Health and Finance and ensure that the promise of biomedical prevention is fully realized.

Register

Other Sessions on Our Radar at ICASA

If you are in Accra, be sure to join the many satellite sessions in which AVAC and partners are involved.

Wednesday, December 3

  • Future Proofing Person Centered HIV Care: Ensuring Appropriate Integration for and with Key Populations, hosted by the International AIDS Society, 17:45-18:30

Thursday, December 4

  • Launch of The Lancet HIV & The Lancet Global Health Joint Series on Sustainable HIV Prevention in Africa, hosted by the Government of Malawi, Malawi’s National AIDS Commission, the African-led HIV Control Working Group (HCWG), and Georgetown University’s Center for Innovation in Global Health; learn more,10:50-11:35

Saturday, December 6

  • Why CHOICE Matters in Ensuring an Integrated, Sustainable Response to HIV, hosted by the African Women Prevention Community Accountability Board (AWPCAB) and African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) in partnership with ViiV Healthcare, 13:10-13:55
  • Innovating to Scale PrEP in a New Reality: Country-Led Strategies for Sustainability, Local Ownership, and Impact, hosted by AVAC and the Coalition to Accelerate Access to Long-Acting PrEP; download flyer, 14:05-14:50

Sunday, December 7

  • Voices and Partnerships to Advance Health Innovation and Equity, hosted by Unitaid, 13:10-13:55

Community Booth

AVAC and partners will “takeover” the Unitaid Community Booth on Friday, 5 December between 9:30 and 13:30, and on Sunday, 7 December between 12:00 to 16:00 to feature programming that brings together advocates and community members with other key stakeholders to discuss LEN for PrEP rollout, emphasize prevention as sustainability, and advance youth leadership. Be sure to visit the UNITAID booth on Friday, 5 December between 9:30 and 13:30 to secure a schedule of the program and join the conversations.

As conversations unfold at ICASA, two urgent imperatives must anchor our collective advocacy: accelerating equitable access to approved HIV prevention options and sustaining a forward-looking research agenda that responds to community priorities and drives long-term impact. In the face of historic US funding cuts and a shifting global health architecture, these goals are more essential than ever. 

The People’s Research Agenda (PRA), which is being updated for ICASA, is a vital tool for shaping and demanding the HIV prevention research the world needs. Whether you’re participating in the Biomedical HIV Prevention Forum or broader ICASA conversations, we encourage you to look out for the updated PRA and use it to frame your priorities, raise your voice, and influence what comes next. 

Avac Event

HIV Prevention Re-mix: Current tools, new tools, same goal

Join the UNITED! Movement and AVAC to learn more about the future of HIV prevention and what this means for young people. The webinar will cover:

  • Prevention options currently available
  • Long-acting PrEP products, including those currently available, available soon, and in the pipeline
  • An update on the introduction of six month lenacapavir for PrEP
  • Advocacy priorities for long-acting PrEP research and rollout, with a focus on what these mean for youth
  • Experiences from youth advocates involved with PrEP introduction and rollout

The session will also include time for Q&A with speakers.

Avac Event

South African AIDS Conference (SAAIDS)

The 12th SAAIDS Conference 2025, under the theme: Unite for Change – Empower Communities and Redefine Priorities for HIV/AIDS will be held in Johannesburg 8-11 September.

Resources

If you’re attending, don’t miss a keynote plenary where AVAC’s Mitchell Warren will share perspectives on the future of HIV prevention, and an important satellite on Wednesday, Bridging the Gap and Identifying Opportunities: Innovative Strategies to Accelerate HIV Prevention, Treatment, and Care for Key and Vulnerable Populations in South Africa.  

Avac Event

From Bench to Bedside—Together: Patient-Driven Innovation in Infectious Disease Clinical Trials

AVAC’s Mitchell Warren and Stacey Hannah will join Infectious Disease Alliance (IDA) and Esperity for a webinar on how patient-driven collaboration is enhancing the design, implementation, and impact of clinical trials in the field of infectious diseases. AVAC colleagues will share insights from AVAC’s 30 years of community engagement in HIV prevention.