AIDS 2024 Daily Digest: Saturday, 20July

Welcome to Munich, Germany, and the AIDS 2024 virtual platform!

AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, gets underway with pre-conferences today and tomorrow. These offer a wide range of population- and issue-specific programming in global health and development. 

The Daily Digest is your guide for the day ahead and a look back at the highlights from the day before and features the latest news from the conference. 

Coming up today

Convert to your time zone through the AIDS 2024 programme.

08:00 to 19:30 CEST (please check the start and end time for each pre-conference).
Among the 17 AIDS 2024 pre-conferences, several are from programmes of IAS – the International AIDS Society. Among pre-conferences today: 

08:00-16:30 CEST – Most HIV transmissions occur through mucosal routes. “Shutting out HIV: Exploring key immune strategies of HIV vaccines” explores the role of mucosal immunity in preventing HIV acquisition.

08:00-16:30 CEST – “Securing progress and extending impact: Implementation science and the HIV response” is linked to the launch of the Journal of the International AIDS Society supplement, “Implementation research and the HIV Response: taking stock and charting the way forward”. The articles draw lessons from real-world intervention strategies to help address remaining gaps in the global public health response to HIV. 

15:00-17:30 CEST – As differentiated service delivery (DSD) is scaled up around the world, “Differentiated service delivery beyond HIV treatment: Learnings from and for NCDs and family planning towards integrated DSD” spotlights the expansion of DSD beyond HIV treatment. 

Language matters

At the organisers, IAS actively uses language that puts people first – at our conferences and in their programmatic work. This is because words have power: they bestow or remove dignity, build or break stigma, and divide or unite the HIV response. Through the words they choose to use at the IAS, they acknowledge that a person is so much more than a condition; we promote inclusivity, dialogue and equality. VirusOFF fully supports this. Join us! 

Meet the IAS change makers 

Each day, the Daily Digest follows the IAS change makers at AIDS 2024: recipients of IAS grant, fellowship or mentorship opportunities. They are the next generation of HIV researchers, advocates and healthcare providers improving the lives of people living with and affected by HIV.

Today’s change maker is Magdalene Ameka, a postdoctoral researcher at the Kenya AIDS Vaccine Initiative (KAVI)-Institute of Clinical Research, where she co-leads KAVI’s mucosal programme. Magdalene took part in the 2023 HIV Vaccine Science Academy, organized by the IAS Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise. Watch her presenting at today’s pre-conference, “Shutting out HIV: Exploring key immune strategies of HIV vaccines.” 

Conference coverage

Preventive antibiotics may help curb the STI epidemic, experts say  NBC News (US)

Despite Advances in HIV Science, Progress is Threatened by ‘Inaction’ Health Policy Watch (Switzerland)

German man likely ‘cured’ of HIV, seventh case in the world India Today (India)

Official media partners coverage

The Next Berlin Patient: What Can the Latest Case of Long-Term HIV Remission Teach Us About a Potential Cure? TheBodyPro (US)

Join the conversation

The official theme of AIDS 2024 is Put people first! Share how you and/or your organization #PutPeopleFirst!

Connect online by following the official AIDS Conference social media channels, and help spread the word by sharing suggested social posts and graphics from our AIDS 2024 social toolkit.

#AIDS2024

Thanks to AIDS 2024 major industry sponsors

Daily Digest prepared by the International AIDS Society. Translated to Ukrainian and Russian by “VirusOFF”