July 1, 2020
Dear Advocate,
In the time before COVID-19, many people would have been heading to the Bay Area in the US for
AIDS2020 and to Mexico City for
HIV2020. Now, both conferences are virtual. Read on for highlights and ways to navigate AIDS2020 Virtual, and stay tuned for other updates on HIV2020.
As in years past, AIDS2020 is offering the latest scientific breakthroughs on HIV, opportunities for advocates to come together to sharpen their agenda and new this year, a special day-long meeting devoted to COVID-19. The pre-conferences began yesterday and there is a full agenda through July 10. Highlights include:
- The latest global HIV estimates from UNAIDS.
- A survey of LGBTI+ people in 138 countries assessing the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19.
- New evidence on what may be the first adult with HIV achieving long-term HIV remission without a bone marrow transplant.
- Analysis of the safety and efficacy of the first long-acting injectable PrEP.
The satellites and regular conference sessions are only available to those who register for the conference. But, as in previous years, there will be a
Global Village that’s free and open to the public, featuring networking zones, workshops and more.
Another complimentary offering is the final day of the conference—the July 10
special meeting on COVID-19, which will focus on developments in the research pipeline for SARS-CoV-2, policy analysis and lessons from the field.
Click here for a free registration. And for more on COVID-19 and intersections with HIV, check out AVAC’s dedicated resources at
www.avac.org/covid.
Navigating the Conference
Tracking the News
Program Highlights
Note: sessions may be streamed at multiple times, some are also streamed live, and many sessions are available to download on demand.
Times reflect Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).
Every Day During AIDS 2020 Virtual
Networking Zones Channel
AVAC’s Research Literacy Zone (RLZN) will connect you to resources offering a foundation in biomedical interventions, the clinical trial process, advocacy for the integration of sexual reproductive health with HIV prevention and treatment, and the impact of HIV and COVID-19 on each other. The RLZN will also feature a series of virtual conversation and Q&As with leading researchers and advocates on topics such as: the status and implications of HVTN 083 & 084— two trials looking at the antiretroviral cabotegravir as a long-acting injectable PrEP; the AMP trial testing a broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb) expected to announce results later this year; the larger bNAb research agenda; the basics of stakeholder engagement in research; an introduction to HIV cure research and more. Go to
avac.org/aids2020 for the details.
Wednesday, July 1
07:00–08:30, Pre-Conference Channel 4
Towards an HIV Cure: Opening session & Advancing the HIV cure field and debunking myths and misconceptions. At this pre-conference session, join a moderated discussion on cure strategies in resource-limited settings, myths and misconceptions, changing attitudes and advances in research.
Monday, July 6
05:00-06:00, Workshop Channel 2
The Power of Peers: Training HIV prevention ambassadors to support PrEP use in their communities. Priority populations such as adolescent girls and young women, men who have sex with men and other, must be offered meaningful ways to engage with peer support and effective advocacy in the context of rising community awareness to take PrEP and use it for as long as they need it. This workshop takes participants through the HIV Prevention Ambassador Training and learn how it boosts the impact of existing PrEP programs.
06:00–07:00, Satellite Channel 3; 23:00–24:00, Satellite Channel 4
Bringing PrEP Closer to Home: Why is now the time for differentiated PrEP? A move toward more community-based and telehealth models have accelerated during COVID-19. Join this session Hear perspectives from providers, PrEP users, ministry of health, and global normative agencies and to discuss why differentiated service delivery DSD will be essential to significantly increase PrEP uptake by the end of 2020 and beyond!
Tuesday, July 7
09:00-10:00, Satellite Channel 2; 12:00-13:00, Satellite Channel 3
HIV Vaccine: The search goes on! Despite life-saving advances in biomedical an HIV vaccine remains a necessity to finally end the epidemic. In this satellite,
The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise,
NIH/
HVTN/
HPTN, with the participation of the
South African Medical Research Council,
IAVI, EU consortiums and AVAC are putting a spotlight on the breadth of ongoing research, and the role of funders, product developers, researchers and communities in sustaining HIV vaccine development.
Wednesday, July 8
05:00–06:00, Workshop Channel 1
Data-Driven Advocacy in 2020 and Beyond: Tools and tactics for civil society to define and win high-impact change in the HIV response. Activists have marked recent wins using data strategically in campaigns. This session will explore case studies in East and Southern Africa and address the common barriers for civil society to deploy data effectively, such as missing or poor-quality data and lack of access.
06:00-07:00, Satellite Channel 2
One Year After ECHO: Integration in the Time of COVID. Results from the Evidence for Contraceptive Options and HIV Outcomes trial reflected the impact siloed services for family planning (FP), sexual and reproductive health, and HIV have on women’s health. The COVID-19 pandemic has only raised the urgency. This session looks at gains made in FP/HIV integration since the ECHO trial results; how COVID-19 is impacting the effort; and implications for the future. And check out our video series,
One Expert, One Question, One Minute! Produced by AVAC and
FP2020. Experts from all around the world share what we need to do for successful HIV/FP integration.
Thursday July 9
08:00, IAS Networking Booth
Join a conversation with cure advocates on "what do you want to know about cure?” IAS/AVAC Advocacy-for-Cure Fellows Philister Adhiambo from Kenya, Owen Mulenga from Uganda, and Josephine Nabukenya from Zambia will answer your questions.
On Demand-Only Sessions
Symposia and Bridging Session, On-Demand Channel
Ending the HIV Epidemic: Optimism, realism and disparities. Join to hear four perspectives on where we are and where we should go as we aim to end the HIV epidemic around the world. Speakers will take four distinct perspectives, each speaking across geographies and populations.
Symposia and Bridging Session, On-Demand Channel
How did they do it? What successful communities can teach all of us about making dramatic progress against HIV epidemics and what this means in the age of COVID. Cities, regions and countries around the world have brought down HIV incidence and mortality. How did they do it? Last year,
amfAR, AVAC and
Friends of the Global Fight, in partnership with
Kaiser Family Foundation, released a report,
Translating Progress Into Success to End the AIDS Epidemic, looking at success stories. In this session, advocates and researchers from these case studies discuss how to apply the lessons they learned to advocacy and policy.
Symposia and Bridging Session, On-Demand Channel
Bound But Not Gagged: Resilience in the era of the global gag rule. Join this session to learn about the impact of the global gag rule and the domestic (US) gag rule on women and girls around the world, including key populations and how they have responded.
It’s an exciting and important time in HIV prevention research and advocacy. At AIDS 2020 Virtual, we can come together—COVID-19 be damned. As intrepid, committed advocates, we can push an HIV agenda forward to a future we clearly see—with many options for evidence-based prevention, well-funded research, and an integrated and equitable global response to the public health threats of today and tomorrow.
Best,
AVAC
