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.
Prevention Advocates’ Corner program (forthcoming)
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.
Avac Event
Reprioritization of Global Fund Programs: What it means for Community actors in Malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV
The Global Fund is working with Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs) and Principal Recipients (PRs) to reprioritize activities under Grant Cycle 7 (GC7) due to reduced funding allocations. This process aims to safeguard essential HIV, TB, and malaria interventions while promoting integration, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability within broader health programs. Countries are encouraged to consider all available resources, both domestic and external, when making decisions, with GC7 reprioritization laying the groundwork for Grant Cycle 8. The Global Fund urges inclusive stakeholder engagement throughout this process.
As part of this process, the Global Fund encourages inclusive stakeholder engagement. Since the release of the programmatic reprioritization guidance, the Learning Hubs have held joint and regional-level webinars. However, we are now at a critical point where PRs and Country Teams are deep into the reprioritization revisions.
To add value beyond introductory explanations, this webinar will pivot to focus on community-level experiences, with a spotlight on emerging best practices, challenges, and engagement opportunities. This space will enable mutual learning and forward-looking strategising among civil society and community actors.
Objectives
Share community experiences and lessons learned from engaging in the GC7 reprioritization process.
Highlight country-level challenges and best practices around community involvement.
Explore opportunities for communities to strengthen their positioning and influence in the current and future grant cycles.
Provide practical recommendations for better community engagement in grant revision processes.
Inform Global Fund teams on ground-level realities to support more inclusive implementation.
IMPT LET’s Talk MPTs “Introducing the Dual Prevention Pill: Lessons Learned and What’s Next for Regulatory, Research, and Rollout” Webinar
Join an engaging session on the Dual Prevention Pill (DPP), featuring Kate Segal (AVAC), Barbara Friedland (Population Council), and Wawira Nyagah (AVAC). Speakers will highlight the product pipeline, the regulatory pathway, and the implementation agenda ahead—followed by a panel discussion with leading experts driving progress in MPTs.
Avac Event
Key Messages from IAS 2025
This webinar will provide participants with scientific, policy, funding and community highlights from IAS 2025, the 13th IAS Conference on HIV Science, held in Kigali, Rwanda, in July. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of the latest trends and emerging priorities in the global HIV response and hear reflections from stakeholders, including community voices.
Moderators
Kenneth Ngure, School of Public Health, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and IAS — The International AIDS Society, Kenya
Susan Shumba, Young Advocates for Inclusion Network and IAS — The International AIDS Society, Zimbabwe
Speakers
Alexandra Calmy, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) and IAS, Switzerland
Gaston Devisich, Fundación Huésped, Argentina
Doreen Moraa Moracha, Kenya
Avac Event
New WHO Guidance on Lenacapavir for Prevention & HIV Testing for Long-Acting PrEP
Thursday 28 August 2025 at 13:00 – 14:00 Geneva-time
Times in your location: 7:00 EDT / 12:00 WAT / 13:00 CEST / 13:00 SAST / 14:00 EEST / 16:30 IST / 18:00 ICT / 19:00 PHST
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
This is the first webinar in a three-part series:
Part 2 on 4 September 2025 focus on HIV testing (in partnership with PSI)
Part 3 will focus on e-training for PrEP providers (in partnership with Jhpiego)
Further details about these webinars will be shared soon!
Avac Event
Expanding HIV Prevention Options: Spotlight on new HIV prevention technologies
Join the International Community of Women Living with HIV Eastern Africa (ICWEA) to discuss the dapivirine vaginal ring, lenacapavir, and cabotegravir. Moderated by Lillian Mworeko and Dr. Lilian Benjamain Mwakyosi, speakers include:
Michelle Rodolph, WHO
Shannon Kowalski, Global Fund
Leonard Solai, Population Council
Yvette Raphael, Advocates for the Prevention of HIV in Africa
Beryl Abade, youth champion and PrEP advocate
Avac Event
GBGMC Town Hall
We are excited to invite you to our next TOWN HALL 📣 happening on Tuesday, August 12th at 10 AM EST!
We will be launching two critical resources:
📊 Market Assessment Report
📈 Key Population Long-Acting PrEP Demand Forecast
Gain insights from leading voices driving innovation in HIV prevention:
✨ Micheal Ighodaro – GBGMC
✨ Matt Hamilton – Avenir Health
✨ Catherine Verde-Hashim – AVAC
Together, we’ll explore what’s next for long-acting PrEP access, readiness, and demand among key populations globally.
What’s New & Next in HIV Prevention: Update on Research & Development AND Delivery
This is an ongoing series which occurs on the first Monday of alternating months and moderated by Drs. Patrick Sullivan (Emory Center for AIDS Research) and Kenneth Mayer (Harvard University Center for AIDS Research).
In August, AVAC Executive Director Mitchell Warren presented. Watch the presentation below. Download his slides.
Avac Event
PrEP Implementation — What’s worked and what are we learning
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has emerged as a critical tool in the global HIV prevention response. Despite its proven efficacy, global uptake of oral PrEP has been slower than anticipated, falling short of UNAIDS’ 2025 targets. However, several countries have successfully scaled up oral PrEP, and in the process learnt significant lessons, many of which they are already applying to introduce newer long-acting (LA) PrEP options such as the dapivirine vaginal ring (DVR) and injectable cabotegravir (CAB), and in planning for the introduction of the recently FDA approved twice yearly injectable lenacapavir (LEN).
This webinar aimed to increase momentum around ARV-based HIV prevention by highlighting key opportunities and challenges in scaling up PrEP. Drawing on findings from AVAC’s recent report, “Getting PrEP Rollout Right This Time: Lessons from the Field” (June 2025), the session shared country-level insights and effective interventions to support PrEP adherence and uptake. It reinforced the need for robust, context-driven strategies to accelerate equitable access to these critical prevention tools.
The specific objectives of this webinar were:
Disseminate key findings from AVAC’s report, Getting PrEP Rollout Right This Time, with a focus on country experiences thematically analysed across the key stages of the Product Introduction Pathway.
Share country-level evidence and insights on the introduction of new PrEP products, such as injectable cabotegravir (CAB) and the dapivirine vaginal ring (DVR) and preparations for the rollout of lenacapavir.
Introduce an SOP to guide the adaptation of national PrEP policies for the inclusion of lenacapavir, supporting evidence-informed decision-making and implementation planning.
Highlight effective interventions that support PrEP adherence and uptake, drawing on evidence products developed by the i2i programme.
