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As we prepared this collection of highlights and resources on a wide range of issues, we learned that Uganda’s President Museveni had signed into law the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023. You’ll find our statement condemning Uganda’s enactment of the hate-filled and dangerous new law at the top our newsletter, and we hope you’ll follow the links in this statement to our partners who are working in solidarity to defeat it. Around the world, the voices of advocates have never been more important, and our joint action to oppose hate and discrimination is imperative now, to sustain the gains that have been made against HIV, to save lives, and to fulfill the promise of equity in global health.
Scroll down for other resources and updates that are shaping global health and the HIV response. These include: new data and infographics in PxWire; perspectives from the World Health Assembly; upcoming webinars on vaccine manufacturing and broadly neutralizing antibodies; new publications on multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs); highlights from the PrEP in Black America Summit; new STI resources; and a recent webinar on expanding HIV cure research across Africa!
AVAC Condemns Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023
AVAC’s statement denounces the decision by Uganda President Yoweri Museveni to sign the legislation into law and calls for solidarity with Uganda’s LGBTQIA+ and civil rights advocates who are demanding the courts uphold Uganda’s constitution and prevent this law from going forward.
The Latest Px Wire
Our quarterly snapshot of biomedical HIV prevention R&D, implementation and advocacy features updates and infographics on oral PrEP uptake, implementation science studies with injectable cabotegravir for PrEP and the dapivirine vaginal ring, and incidence rates from HIV prevention trials over the past 25 years.
The World Health Assembly and PPPR
As the World Health Assembly made news last week by approving a 20 percent increase to the WHO budget, advocates are calling the early draft of the pandemic accord a step backward for equity. Several moving pieces are setting up a new architecture for global health. Learn how all this work on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPPR) fits together, and where advocates can engage in AVAC’s Advocates Guide for PPPR in 2023. For further background, read our position paper on PPPR and find links to related webinars and podcasts here.
For perspective on increased funding to the WHO and the evolving new architecture for global health, listen to A Shot In The Arm podcast episode, “Too Fund or Not Too Fund The WHO. That is the question”, featuring a conversation with AVAC Executive Director, Mitchell Warren, Global Health Council Executive Director Elisha Dunn-Georgiou and podcast host Ben Plumley.
And, UNAIDS and the Global HIV Prevention Coalition hosted a special session, A High-Level Dialogue on Accelerating HIV Prevention and Future Pandemics. Check it out to hear civil society representatives, ministers of health, and leaders of UNAIDS, The Global Fund, PEPFAR and AVAC talk about the opportunities and challenges in delivering on the promise of current HIV prevention options.
SAVE THE DATE: Two Upcoming Vaccine Webinars
On May 18th, AVAC and the Coalition to Accelerate & Support Prevention Research (CASPR) marked HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD) with a package of resources, and highlights of activities. Our HVAD program continues with two upcoming webinars exploring the changing landscape of vaccine research, development and advocacy.
What’s All the Buzz About: mRNA, manufacturing, vaccines access
Thursday, June 1 at 10am ET / 4pm SAST. Register here.
To bNAb or not to bNAb? The case for broadly neutralizing antibodies
Wednesday, June 7 at 10 AM ET / 4 PM SAST. Register here.
Paving The Way for The Dual Prevention Pill
Frontiers in Reproductive Health published a special issue on MPTs! AVAC’s Kate Segal is a co-author of Equipping providers to offer novel MPTs: Developing counseling messages for the Dual Prevention Pill in clinical studies and beyond, and partners from CHAI and the DPP Consortium contributed the article Cost-effectiveness of the dual prevention pill for contraception and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.
PrEP in Black America
The 2023 summit on PrEP in Black America ended May 19 on a high note with a crucial policy conversation with the Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, Harold Philips, on a proposal to advance a national PrEP program in the US. Interested to learn more? Check out the 2023 report from PrEP in Black America, For Us, By Us: PrEP In Black America: A Master Plan For HIV Prevention In Black America.
STI Advocacy
AVAC has been expanding our advocacy for STI prevention, from better diagnostics to vaccine development. The recent conference of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) featured key discussions on resource allocation and on DoxyPEP, with guidelines expected from the CDC before the end of year. See our new STI factsheet, watch the TCA October 2022 webinar on Doxy for STIs, and bookmark STI Watch.org for further background.
Pioneering HIV Cure Research Where It’s Needed Most
AVAC and a number of partners hosted Advancing HIV Cure to Africa: What is needed? The webinar features two panel discussions on how researchers, communities and other stakeholders from high income countries can work equitably with low- and middle-income countries in the interests of an HIV cure for all. Find the recording and learn more here.