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[link removed] August 19, 2026
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The Latest Resources from AVAC: Advancing Science, Expanding Access
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Dear Advocate,
Scientific breakthroughs accelerate HIV prevention—but only when they are matched with bold advocacy, sustained investment and equitable access. This month's roundup highlights key prevention news, developments and takeaways from AVAC and explores what's needed and what’s next to ensure the latest innovations move beyond headlines and into the hands of the communities that need them most.
Science Creates the Possibilities, Communities Create the Future
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AIDS 2026 ([link removed]) , the 26th International AIDS Conference, took place 26-31 July 2026. AVAC and partners were there, convening critical conversations, bringing timely analysis ([link removed]) and advancing advocacy to turn scientific breakthroughs into public health impact. From the mainstage to the hallways, the importance of moving from innovation to impact rang clear. As AVAC Program Manager Grace Kumwenda ([link removed]) shares in her reflections on the conference ([link removed]) , “we need to move from products to programs at scale; from clinics to community-centered delivery platforms; from product-focused interventions to choice-based prevention; and from scientific breakthroughs to political courage, financing, solidarity and accountability.”
AVAC’s coverage highlights what it will take to act on evidence with equity and speed. Explore conference highlights, key takeaways and resources from Rio here ([link removed]) .
Prevention Access News
Article
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** High Demand for LEN Faces Real-World Supply Challenges
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AVAC’s Mitchell Warren ([link removed]) recently spent a week in Zambia with AVAC partner Ascend Futures Foundation ([link removed]) , which is playing a leading role in the introduction of injectable lenacapavir (LEN) for PrEP. Mitchell was joined by Science ([link removed]) ’s Jon Cohen, who was reporting on the rollout of LEN and the real-world challenges being faced on the ground, including lack of supply. While LEN has met critical milestones with record speed ([link removed]) , AVAC, Access Bridge ([link removed]) and partners continue to advocate to ensure the science is matched with political will, financing and community leadership to get LEN to the people who need it most. “Science alone doesn’t change the world – people do,” said Mitchell in the article.
Read the full piece ([link removed])
News
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** Merck Announces Global Access Plans for Monthly Oral Alimatravir (AMI)
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On July 24, Merck announced ([link removed]) that it granted seven direct licenses to generic manufacturers – including three in Africa – to produce and market their investigational monthly pill for HIV prevention, known as alimatravir (MK-8527, or AMI) ([link removed]) , in 129 countries while Phase 3 clinical trials ([link removed]) are still enrolling. Since 2012, each successive PrEP introduction has gone faster than the previous one ([link removed]) , yet the time to market ([link removed]) and to public health impact remains too slow. AVAC is committed to changing that ([link removed]) , and has worked to
influence trial design and implementation, and to ensure strong engagement with community representatives in the research program. These efforts coincide with broader AVAC efforts to engage stakeholders in preparation for results from the trials, and, in the case of efficacy, building the foundation for a swift path to wide-scale uptake and access.
AVAC partner Kenneth Mwehonge ([link removed]) of HEPS Uganda told the New York Times ([link removed]) : “Our engagement with pharma has always been fights, but it is amazing to sit with them and have them say, ‘We are learning from the other products’. It all sounds good for now, but we will wait to see how it’s put to action.”
Learn how AVAC and partners have shaped alimatravir trials ([link removed]) .
Research
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The Dual Prevention Pill (DPP) ([link removed]) , a combination of daily oral PrEP and combined oral contraception, offers a novel, female-controlled option for HIV and unintended pregnancy prevention ([link removed]) . However, promising technologies like the DPP often face delays in regulatory approval and uptake due to limited stakeholder involvement early in the introduction process. This new article ([link removed]) in AIDS Care ([link removed]) , authored by AVAC Fellow alum Rhoda Msiska ([link removed]) , AVAC Senior Program Managers Kate Segal ([link removed]) and Cindra Feuer ([link removed]) , and Dr. Newton Donkola ([link removed]) of Copper Rose Zambia ([link removed]) , illustrates how early,
multisectoral stakeholder engagement could accelerate DPP approval and adoption in Zambia.
Read the Article ([link removed])
Threats to Science in the U.S.
Commentary
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** NIH Budget Cuts Threaten HIV Research
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In this commentary for Think Global Health ([link removed]) , AVAC’s Stacey Hannah ([link removed]) and Mitchell Warren argue that ending the HIV epidemic will require sustained investment in the basic science that makes future breakthroughs possible. They warn that attacks on science ([link removed]) and growing anti-vaccine sentiment threaten progress toward an HIV vaccine ([link removed]) and could undermine advances across global health. “At a moment when scientific progress is advancing,” they write, “advocates, researchers, policymakers and communities should push back against politically motivated, fringe, anti-vaccine sentiments that threaten decades of investment ([link removed]) to develop the tool that would finally break the back of the epidemic.”
Read the Piece ([link removed])
AVAC Statement
** AVAC Says Stop the Waste, Fraud and Abuse in the Persecution of Tony Fauci
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Former NIAID Director and longtime champion for HIV and AIDS research Dr. Anthony Fauci is facing renewed attacks from Congress, after a Senate committee voted to hold him in contempt following a hearing about the COVID-19 response. The attacks on Dr. Fauci raise alarm bells about the current state of congressional oversight, constitutional protections and attacks on science and scientists. In a letter of support ([link removed]) for Dr. Fauci, AVAC urged the committee to recognize the deep history of partnership that Dr. Fauci has forged with the HIV/AIDS community; one that has resulted in numerous biomedical innovations and programs that have ultimately saved millions of lives.
Read AVAC's Statement ([link removed])
Podcasts
** Let’s Talk About PrEP: The Future of HIV Prevention with Mitchell Warren
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In this new podcast, Mitchell Warren joined Global Black Gay Men Connect (GBGMC) ([link removed]) to talk about the future of HIV prevention ([link removed]) and what it takes to turn scientific innovation into impact. As Mitchell puts it, "the future of HIV prevention isn't just about groundbreaking science; it's about making sure that science reaches the communities who need it most.”
Listen Now ([link removed])
** The Future of PrEP: LEN and the Fight for Access
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Mitchell also joined ITPC’s Make Medicines Affordable ([link removed]) podcast to discuss the future of PrEP ([link removed]) . While LEN is a transformative option for HIV prevention that is being rolled out with unprecedented speed, Warren discusses why scientific progress means nothing without fierce political will, stronger, resilient health systems and true equity for low- and middle-income countries.
Listen Now ([link removed])
In solidarity,
AVAC
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AVAC Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention
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