Avac Event

Embracing Task Shifting and Innovation to Support Expanded Access to Long-Acting Injectable PrEP

While the HIV prevention buffet will soon offer a second form of long acting injectable PrEP, ensuring access to all those who can benefit requires innovations in service delivery such as task shifting. In the United States, two Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) have implemented programming that has expanded clinic capacity, resulting in more individuals being able to choose long acting injectable PrEP. We also heard about innovative efforts to expand PrEP access in South Africa and learned what it takes to integrate task shifting for long-acting PrEP injection programs. We discussed other ways we can collectively innovate to support expanded, sustainable access to all forms of PrEP.

Speakers:

  • Kevin Aloysius, Legacy Community Health, Houston
  • Megan Dieterich, Whitman-Walker Health, Washington, DC
  • Juan Carlos Loubriel, Whitman-Walker Health, Washington, DC
  • Carey Pike, Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, Cape Town

Moderator:

  • Rupa Patel, Washington University in St. Louis

Materials:

Avac Event

The Scientific Journey of Lenacapavir: From basic science to clinical development to impact

On June 11, AVAC hosted a conversation, The Scientific Journey of Lenacapavir: From basic science to clinical development to impact, to explore how US support from NIH for basic science and South Africa’s clinical research infrastructure made possible the development of lenacapavir for PrEP (LEN), a discovery in HIV prevention that went on to be named Science magazine’s 2024 Breakthrough of the Year.

As the field anticipates initial regulatory approval from the US FDA by June 19 and a WHO recommendation in July, Linda-Gail Bekker of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, Wes Sundquist of the University of Utah and Mitchell Warren of AVAC underscored how this moment of promise is threatened by sweeping attacks on science, research and the very systems that made the development of LEN possible.

Read the Summary

Avac Event

Regional HIV Cure Advocates Virtual Cross Learning Convening

Join HIV cure advocates and the Afrovive Health Foundation executive director to discuss the latest on HIV cure research.

Featuring:

  • Doreen Moracha — HIV Cure Advocate – Kenya
  • Elina Mwasinga — HIV Cure Advocate – Malawi
  • Yusuf Hasan Wada — HIV Cure Advocate – Nigeria
  • Dr. Ben Kibirige — Executive Director Afrovive Health Foundation

Meeting Details:

12pm EAT. Join via Microsoft Teams.

  • Meeting ID: 936 635 474 914 3
  • Passcode: 5Vw7Yq

Avac Event

On the Road to IAS 2025: Scientific Highlights in HIV Cure Research

The Towards an HIV Cure programme of IAS – the International AIDS Society – invites you to a webinar, titled “On the road to IAS 2025: Scientific highlights in HIV cure research”.

This webinar will set the scene for the pre-conference, “Co-infections, viral and host diversity: Impact on HIV cure strategies”, taking place on 13 July at IAS 2025, the 13th IAS Conference on HIV Science. It will highlight key scientific developments presented at CROI 2025 and the Keystone Symposia, “HIV Cure: Antiretroviral-Free Control of HIV Infection”, and explore how these findings are shaping the HIV cure field and informing the conversation leading up to IAS 2025.

Confirmed Speakers

  • Gabriela Cromhout, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
  • Mike McCune, Gates Foundation, United States (pre-recorded)
  • Natalia Laufer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA, Argentina
  • Sharon Lewin, Doherty Institute, Australia (pre-recorded)
  • Steve Deeks, University of California San Francisco, United States
  • Thumbi Ndung’u, Africa Health Research Institute, South Africa

Avac Event

Fight for our Lives Emergency Townhall

Join AVAC and GBGMC for the next “Fight For Our Lives” Emergency Town Hall to learn more about how the recent freeze on US government foreign assistance has impacted the availability of PrEP, including the rollout of injectable cabotegravir for PrEP, and what this means for key populations and LGBTQ+ communities.

This is an ongoing series. Forthcoming times shown are Eastern Time. Find the time in your region here.

  • August 19, 2025 at 10:00 AM
  • August 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM
  • August 26, 2025 at 10:00 AM
  • August 28, 2025 at 10:00 AM
  • September 2, 2025 at 10:00 AM
  • September 4, 2025 at 10:00 AM
  • September 9, 2025 at 10:00 AM

Avac Event

Fight for Firewalls: HIV and Health Data Privacy in the Snowballing Surveillance State

With the increased abuse of technology in surveilling and criminalizing healthcare, especially abortion and gender affirming care, more and more people are asking: is my personal health data safe?

People living with HIV and human rights advocates have been demanding answers to this question for years, particularly in relation to the collection, sharing, and storing of HIV genetic data without the consent of people living with HIV.

Kendra Albert, a public interest technology lawyer, discussed the current state of health data privacy, especially as it relates to people living with HIV. Participants learned basic concepts in health data privacy and what actions they can take to improve health data privacy on the state level.

Moderator:

  • Martha Cameron, International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW), North America

Presenters:

  • Kendra Albert, Albert Sellars LLP
  • Kae Greenberg, Center for HIV Law and Policy

Materials:

Avac Event

1st International Workshop on Long Acting Anti-Infectives (LAAI) 2025

The International Workshop On Long Acting Anti-Infectives (LAAI) is a crucial platform for advancing the development, implementation, and scale-up of long-acting and extended-release (LA/ER) anti-infective therapies. 

AVAC’s Stacey Hannah will present on, Getting It Right This Time: The Impact of PEPFAR Stop Work Orders on Injectable PrEP and Implications for LEN Rollout.

Avac Event

World Health Assembly-A new era of HIV prevention; Accelerating access to long-acting prevention options through sustainable prevention systems and financing

This High-Level Dialogue organized by the Global HIV Prevention Coalition and co-hosted by UNAIDS in collaboration with UNFPA, WHO and UNDP, the Federal Republic of Brazil and Kingdom of the Netherlands aims to galvanize political leadership, financing, and coordinated action to drive a transformational HIV prevention push. The meeting will serve as a platform for Ministers of Health, global health partners, pharmaceutical companies, and civil society to explore opportunities to expand access to new long-acting prevention technologies as a powerful addition to existing effective options.

Join Mitchell Warren as he chairs the discussion alongside UNAIDS leadership, representatives of UN partners and global health stakeholders.

Avac Event

100 Days In: How HIV Advocates are Meeting the Moment

In its first 100 days, the Trump administration proposed deep cuts to public health and HIV funding, attacked evidence-based healthcare, defunded scientific research, rolled back protections for LGBTQ+ people, and emphasized punitive criminal legal approaches. These moves pose serious threats to the future of HIV-related services, care, prevention, and the broader struggle for health equity and racial justice in our multiracial democracy.

Join CHLP for this moderated panel discussion focused on what the first 100 days of the Trump administration have meant for our communities, particularly people living with HIV, Black and brown people, LGBTQ+ people, and those impacted by criminalization, and how we are collectively shifting strategy to meet the current political moment.

Panelists

  • Michael Elizabeth, Equality Federation
  • Venita Ray, Black South Rising
  • John Meade, PrEP in Black America, AVAC
  • Chauncey McGlathery, American Academy of HIV Medicine
  • Jada Hicks & Sean McCormick, CHLP

Avac Event

HIV Prevention at a Crossroads: Why we still need an HIV vaccine

In this session, global experts explored the continued need for an HIV vaccine in the context of the expanding HIV prevention landscape and uncertain geopolitical environment. The discussion covered the potential public health impact of an HIV vaccine, its socioeconomic and equity implications, and the rising threat to vaccine science.

Presented by the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise and IAVI.