Engage and Explore: AIDS 2024 Pre-Conferences This Weekend

In just a week AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, will take place in Munich, Germany, and virtually from 22 to 26 July 2024. Pre-conferences will be held this weekend, on 20 and 21 July before the main part of AIDS 2024. Pre-conferences independently organised meetings that offer a wide range of global health and development agendas related to populations and their challenges. Organised by prominent HIV organizations and networks, they are attended by influential government officials, community leaders and international donors. 

Pre-conferences are an important part of the overall conference programme. They provide an opportunity for participants to explore key topics in depth, discuss new research, and agree on common positions and goals before the main conference officially opens. For community organizations and networks, and EECA participants, it is an additional opportunity to amplify the voices of those most vulnerable.

Pre-conferences are open to all registered delegates, sessions take place in a hybrid format and are streamed live on the virtual conference platform.

VirusOFF Online Platform would like to recommend some Pre-conferences that could be of interest to participants from the Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Please note that each pre-conference will consist of several sessions.

LIVING 2024: Pre-conference of people living with HIV 
20-21 July, Auditorium 13b/7 channel

LIVING 2024 is a global partnership initiative of influential networking and international organizations, introduced to bring communities together to build consensus and influence key global events that have taken place in 2024 and beyond.

The topics to be discussed are:
1. Access to quality HIV treatment and services
2. The future of the AIDS movement and the sustainability of the AIDS response
3. Stigma, discrimination and criminalisation of people living with HIV
4. Intergenerational dialogue – transferring knowledge to a new generation of young activists
5. Undefined means untransferable (U=U)

To learn more about LIVING 2024 initiative and the pre-conference programme, please visit web-page.

From dreams to reality: Achieving the global 10-10-10 HIV targets with and for key populations
21 July, Room 5/8 Canal Room

The Pre-conference is a crucial for policymakers, donors, key populations, people living with HIV, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to discuss progress and what is needed to achieve the 10-10-10 goals. It provides an opportunity for leaders of vulnerable populations to engage with key donors about their safety and protection needs.  Additionally, it offers a platform for leaders and organizations in legal advocacy to learn and share innovative skills for effective advocacy, focusing on removing or mitigating discriminatory laws and policies. Participants will gain practical skills and information on best practices for sustainable advocacy, even in restrictive settings.

Network organizations from the EECA region such as Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA); and, Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity (ECOM), representatives of community organizations from Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine and others will participate in the pre-conference. 

Community-Led Monitoring in a changing world
21 July, Room 14a/9 Canal Room

This Pre-conference will highlight the impact of community-led monitoring (CLM) on the response against HIV, TB and malaria. Participants will explore the challenges and opportunities in designing, resourcing and implementing CLM programmes, which will include discussions on funding, political support and sustainability of CLM programmes. For representatives of the EECA region, this event can be very useful in terms of development and experience exchange on CLM programmes in the region, that are important for engagement with the public health system and community influence on the quality and transparency of HIV and TB service delivery.

Embracing wisdom: Advocating for HIV care in older populations
20 July, Room B0b/5 channel

These sessions are interesting from the perspective that HIV infection ages with people living with HIV. The methods of work and support that were developed and implemented 20 years ago were aimed at supporting people aged 25-35 years old, and now it is people aged 45-55 years old, respectively. And now other differentiated approaches are needed. These approaches, services and research will be discussed at the pre-conference.

The pre-conferences will take place already this weekend in Munich, Germany, and virtually for AIDS2024 participants. You can learn more about the program of these and other pre-conferences at the following link.