The Global Advocacy-for-a-Cure Academy 

The Advocacy-for-a-Cure Academy connects advocates with leading researchers to explore the latest HIV cure strategies and equip advocates with the skills needed to develop advocacy agendas and prepare their communities for HIV cure trials.

→ Read highlights from the 2025 Advocacy-For-A-Cure Academy! 📢

The World Needs an HIV Cure, and Cure Research Needs Advocates

More than a hundred HIV cure clinical trials with thousands of participants are underway. An effective HIV cure will reduce new infections, neutralize stigma and discrimination, contribute to the end of the epidemic and provide hope to millions of people living with HIV. But cure research is highly complex and the trials to test possible solutions involve careful considerations that communities must understand. Advocates play a fundamental role in shaping a research agenda that reflects community priorities and ensuring communities understand and support research.

About the Advocacy-for-a-Cure Academy

AVAC convenes two HIV Cure Academies each year—the Advocacy-For-a-Cure Academy and the US HIV Cure Academy. The Academies prepare civil society to fight effectively for research that matters to the people who are most impacted by HIV. AVAC co-hosts the Advocacy-For-a-Cure Academy in Africa with the International AIDS Society (IAS) in partnership with the Africa HIV Cure Consortium (AHCC). The Advocacy-for-a-Cure Academy brings together 13-15 seasoned advocates and leading cure researchers to explore current strategies under investigation and the implications for different populations. They consider the challenges in cure research, approaches to broad stakeholder engagement and an advocacy agenda to accelerate the design, social acceptability and rapid adoption of HIV cure products.

The program:

• Provides training on current HIV cure research strategies, barriers to a cure and skills for communicating scientific results accurately to communities that will most benefit from cure research.
• Supports the development of tools to broaden cure literacy to the wider community, including policy makers, the media and program managers.
• Creates opportunities to interact with leading researchers and advocates in the field with a view to expanding the network of advocates working in HIV cure.

The Cure Fellowship

Following the Academies, AVAC, in partnership with IAS and AHCC, awards at least one fellowship to Academy alumni to support the development of a project that meets one of the following criteria:

• Advocacy program to mobilize HIV cure research in-country;
• Strengthens networks and tools for cure advocacy in local contexts;
• Develops and provides HIV cure education and information for communities affected by HIV

Learn more about the 2026 Alumni Fellows.

Impact

Since 2017, 134 advocates have participated in Advocacy-for-a-Cure Academies. The majority represent communities across Africa that are most burdened by HIV. These advocates have gone on to serve on community advisory boards, consult with major research and pharmaceutical entities, and serve as prominent guest speakers at major scientific convenings.

Back in their communities, these advocates have created programs, resources and in-country trainings to help people understand cure research. They make the science accessible and promote community support for accelerated research in their local context. And, last but not least, they identify and inspire future Academy participants, growing the field of cure advocates.

Contact

For more information on this program, reach out Jessica Salzwedel at [email protected].