Positively Positive – Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News
HIV, AIDS and Infectious Disease News
from around the world
Worldwide 91.4 million people have been infected with HIV.
Worldwide 44.1 million people with HIV have died.
Worldwide, 40.8 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2024.
.
Practicing Safe Sex is our best resource in preventing HIV infection through sexual contact.
Sexual contact accounts for 95 percent of all new HIV infections worldwide.
Safe Sex = Disease Prevention – STAY SAFE!
Use A Condom Every Time!
“HIV needs to be in the media each and every day as most people only see snippets of news and these are not effective enough. For this reason, in 2007, I decided to include an HIV/AIDS News page where people could find information on many HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) related issues, Infectious Disease,
and more.
I collaborate with individuals, groups, and organizations throughout the world, to include their HIV/AIDS news articles, press releases, events, workshops, conferences, and more on PositivelyPositive.ca. News items stay on the HIV/AIDS News page for a month,
and then News items go into the HIV/AIDS News Archives.”
Bradford McIntyre
CANADIARY: Janet Conners
NOVEMBER 11, 2026 -CANADIARY - In 1989, a lab technician in Halifax was told by doctors that she could not possibly have HIV.
She insisted on the test anyway.
She was positive, and she decided she was not going to die quietly.
She was born Janet Pritchard in Vancouver in 1956, the middle of six children.
Years later she would joke about it. In a family that size, she said, you had to lobby for your survival.
By 1981 she was a single mother with a young son, working as a lab technician at the infectious disease clinic of the Victoria General Hospital in Halifax.
Patients with HIV ‘isolated in single rooms’ and told to use commodes instead of toilets, Oireachtas health committee told
11 Nov 2026 - By Eilish O'Regan - Irish Independent - A nurse who has HIV and appeared in a public awareness campaign has warned of the widespread stigma and discrimination experienced by people living with the virus.
Aoife Commins from Co Galway said misinformation within healthcare settings is causing harm, delaying diagnoses and preventing people from accessing vital treatment.
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HIV activism offers a roadmap for tackling weight stigma
November 10, 2026 - November 10, 2026 Wits University - University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University), Johannesburg - Although HIV and obesity are not mirror images, lessons from the HIV response could accelerate fairer and more effective care for people living with obesity.
These were the findings in the paper titled Weight gain in people living with HIV published as part of The Lancet HIV Series on 8 November.
This Series highlights how HIV and weight stigma can intersect, and how community-led, integrated services can help address both.
By adapting HIV’s activist-built tools, i.e., community leadership, stigma measurement, legal protection and integrated treatment access, weight-stigma reduction can move beyond blame and toward care that treats obesity as a health issue, not a moral failing.
TaiMed Biologics Announces Publication in The Lancet HIV of Phase 1b/2a Study of Long-Acting Dual-Antibody HIV Maintenance Regimen TMB-365/TMB-380
November 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TaiMed Biologics - - Further analysis of previously announced Phase 2a results showed 94% of evaluable participants maintained viral suppression through 24 weeks, with no confirmed virologic failures -
- Study evaluated TMB-365/TMB-380 without pretreatment susceptibility screening and identified pharmacokinetic findings that informed the ongoing Phase 2b study -
- Publication and presentation at HIV Glasgow 2026 provide peer-reviewed support for TaiMed’s differentiated host- and virus-targeted, all-antibody approach to long-acting HIV treatment -
TaiMed Biologics Inc. (TPEX: 4147), a commercial-stage CD4-targeted biologics company advancing antibody-based therapies for long-acting HIV treatment, today announced the publication in The Lancet HIV of results from a Phase 1b/2a clinical study evaluating TMB-365 in combination with TMB-380 as a long-acting maintenance regimen in people living with HIV who were virologically suppressed on oral antiretroviral therapy (ART). These same findings were also delivered in an oral presentation at this year’s HIV Glasgow meeting held in Glasgow, Scotland, and the scientific article publication is available electronically on The Lancet HIV’s website.
Community-based orgs pivot services as federal HIV prevention funding shifts to states
November 10, 2026 - By Skye Crawford - North Carolina Health News - This summer, the CDC announced it would no longer fund community groups that work to prevent HIV, leading one group in Charlotte to close entirely.
Just three days before shutting down, PowerHouse 2.0 in Charlotte tested and identified someone newly positive with HIV.
The organization had been around for 16 years, offering free HIV screenings and sexually transmitted infection prevention services for Black men in the community who have sex with men. (HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.) It shut down at the end of September after the CDC redirected HIV prevention funds to state and local health departments.
“To just be able to end the funding stream, it does not mean that the work needs to be ended,” said Ra’Shawn Flournoy, CEO at Quality Comprehensive Health Care, the parent organization of the PowerHouse program.
In July, the Trump administration directed the CDC to not renew its five-year grant that has invested almost $240 million in HIV prevention directly through 96 community-based organizations across the country since 2021.
“Normal is the perfect word”: participants describe switching to weekly HIV treatment
10 November 2026 - By Zekerie Redzheb - aidsmap - Taking HIV treatment once a week may make it easier to fit into everyday life and reduce the daily reminder of living with the virus. In the ISLEND-2 study, most people who switched from daily treatment to an investigational weekly tablet containing islatravir and lenacapavir favoured their new regimen and the reasons for this went beyond convenience.
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Alimatravir, a once-monthly oral HIV prevention pill, moves forward in clinical trials
November 10, 2026 - Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) - A second phase trial of HIV prevention pill alimatravir included people at low risk
Results with 350 people so far suggest that it is generally safe and well tolerated
A once-monthly pill could offer more options for long-acting PrEP without injections
In a short study involving people with HIV, scientists confirmed that alimatravir’s anti-HIV activity, previously observed in the laboratory, was also seen in people. This finding is important because it confirms that the drug has anti-HIV activity in the body—a crucial step before alimatravir is evaluated in future trials for HIV prevention.
Alimatravir is being tested as a prevention pill taken once monthly for people without HIV..
Another benefit of viral suppression is that people with HIV who have an undetectable viral load cannot pass on the virus to their sexual partners.
In a phase 1 clinical trial to assess preliminary safety, alimatravir was found to be generally safe in people without HIV.
Moving to HIV self-care would be better and cheaper for Africa
9 November 2026 - By Elna Schütz - aidsmap - A recent study in The Lancet Global Health found that offering more self-administered HIV services would improve results and save costs of care. It modelled the effects of self-care policies in comparison to current strategies across Africa.
The research by the Institute for Global Health, University College London, and others came about in response to the recent funding crisis of HIV services that has particularly affected African countries.
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Cambodian AIDS Authority rejects ‘viral’ claims of HIV outbreak
PHNOM PENH - Novemnber 9, 2026 - By Niem Chheng - Asia News Network - In a November 8 statement, the authority noted that data from the HIV/AIDS surveillance and response monitoring system managed by the Ministry of Health showed no evidence of an outbreak.
The National AIDS Authority has categorically rejected social media claims that Cambodia is experiencing an uptick of HIV infections. It highlighted that the number of new infections in the Kingdom continues to decline and offered statistics to support this.
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Uganda AIDS Commission defends HIV-positive youth pageant amid stigma debate
Novemnber 8, 2026 - By Elvis Basudde Kyeyune - monitor.co.ug - Dr. Byamukama emphasised that the initiative focuses on empowerment rather than rewarding the infection
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INRS and the Pasteur Network bring together scientists from 25 countries in Québec to strengthen the fight against pandemics
LAVAL (QUEBEC), November 6, 2026 – Institut national de la recherche scientifique - INRS - Held in North America for the first time, the Pasteur Network Annual Meeting highlighted how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies can advance global health preparedness and response
The Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) and the Pasteur Network brought together specialists in infectious diseases, public health, and biomedical research from 25 countries in Laval, Québec, from November 3 to 5, 2026, for the Pasteur Network Annual Meeting (PNAM).
Held in North America for the first time, the international gathering provided a unique forum for scientific leaders, researchers, and public health experts to explore how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies can strengthen pandemic preparedness and response. Over three days, participants exchanged knowledge, shared best practices, and reinforced collaborations to address current and future global health challenges.
Long-Acting ART in the Real World: New Data on Efficacy, Persistence, and Nonsuppression Timing
Nov 6, 2026, 2026 - Benjamin Young, M.D., Ph.D.Myles Helfand, Executive Editor - TheBodyPro - A new tranche of real-world data from a major Spanish study gives us further evidence that long-acting antiretroviral therapy with cabotegravir/rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) has real staying power once people switch to it. It also helps us begin to understand some of the specific reasons why CAB/RPV is sometimes unsuccessful—and gives us a sense of when that is most likely to become apparent.
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New Data Show Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir Achieved Nearly Twice the One-Year Persistence of Daily Oral F/TDF in HIV Prevention
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- November 6, 2026 - Gilead - - Zero HIV Acquisitions Occurred Among Participants Receiving Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir During the 52-Week Study Period -
- PURPOSE 5 Study Findings Highlight the Potential of Long-Acting HIV Prevention Option to Address Persistence Challenges with Up to a Full Year of Protection After Second Dose -
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced results from the PURPOSE 5 trial showing significantly higher persistence—defined as consistent and continuous on-time use—among people starting twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), compared with those starting daily oral emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (F/TDF). The trial included people in the United Kingdom (UK) and France who would benefit from PrEP. These data will be presented at HIV Glasgow 2026.
Despite substantial progress in HIV prevention, approximately 1.2 million people acquired HIV globally in 2025, according to UNAIDS, underscoring the need for prevention options that better support long-term use and protection. Persistence on PrEP remains one of the most important determinants of real-world prevention effectiveness. Daily oral F/TDF is currently the most commonly used oral PrEP medication globally.
HIV can change to evade an antibody, but escaping may come at a cost
November 6, 2026 - By Yulisha Naidoo - University of Cape Town - UCT - A South African-United States study has uncovered how HIV can evolve to resist an antibody designed to prevent infection, offering clues for developing stronger antibody-based prevention strategies.
Imagine a key designed to fit a lock. Change the shape of the lock, and the key may no longer work. HIV can do something similar. The virus can change the part of its surface that an antibody recognises, making it harder for the antibody to block infection. But these changes may also come at a cost to the virus itself.
In a study published in Nature Microbiology, researchers investigated how HIV evolved after people acquired the virus despite receiving VRC01, a broadly neutralising antibody designed to block HIV from entering human cells.
The Legacy Chest is now live!
November 6, 2026 - Realize - More than 30 stories. Over 220 minutes of lived experience. A legacy that must not be lost.
The Legacy Chest is an online archive of stories, reflections and testimonies from long-term and lifetime survivors of HIV. It brings to the forefront the voices of people who have lived through the HIV/AIDS pandemic, documenting decades of experience, activism, resilience and community building.
The Legacy Chest est maintenant en ligne!
6 novembre 2026 Réalise - Plus de 30 histoires. Plus de 220 minutes de témoignages sur des expériences vécues. Un héritage qui ne doit pas tomber dans l’oubli.
The Legacy Chest est une archive en ligne d’histoires, de réflexions et de témoignages de survivants du VIH à long terme et depuis leur naissance. Cette initiative met de l’avant les voix des personnes qui ont vécu la pandémie du VIH/sida, en documentant des décennies d’expérience, de militantisme, de résilience et de création de communautés.
Joint Statement from Ribbon – A Center of Excellence and The Reunion Project
November 5, 2026 - Ribbon - THE REUNION PROJECT - North American Partners Celebrate the Launch of the HIV Long-Term Survivors Legacy Chest
A Center of Excellence and The Reunion Project join our colleagues at the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) and Realize in Canada in celebrating the November 4 launch of the Legacy Chest, an international collection of personal stories from long-term and lifetime survivors of HIV.
The Legacy Chest is part of the Long-Term Survivors of HIV – Honouring the Past, Shaping the Future project, led by EATG in partnership with our three organizations. The collection includes more than 30 recorded stories, totaling over 220 minutes, from people whose experiences span decades of the HIV epidemic.
Tennessee judge extends block on immigration checks in HIV/AIDS program
NOVEMBER 5, 2026 - By Anita Wadhwani - Tennessee Lookout - The state Health Department intends to verify immigration status of patients in the healthcare program even if nonprofit agencies that provide direct care refuse, a state lawyer said.
A Nashville judge on Wednesday continued to block the Tennessee Department of Health from demanding proof of citizenship or immigration status from HIV-positive individuals who are enrolled in a safety-net healthcare program.
Chancellor I’Ashea Myles’ extension of a temporary restraining order, first issued Oct. 21, prevents the state from imposing immigration status checks in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program until at least next week, as she weighs arguments for a longer injunction.
The order also applies to a companion program called Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS. The programs, which provide federal funding to every state, have served as the cornerstone of the U.S. government’s response to HIV/AIDS for more than 30 years.
AIDS Activist James Rann of Waves Salon Dies at 83
Nov 4, 2026 2026 - By Mary-Jo Avellar - The Provincetown Independent - AIDS activist, hair stylist, and artist James Edward Rann died on Oct. 1, 2026 at Seashore Point in Provincetown. Peter McDonough, his husband of 31 years, said the causes of death were AIDS and complications of a fall. James was 82.
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Without US funding, Zimbabwe could see over 75,000 new HIV infections in a year
4 November 2026 - By Krishen Samuel - aidsmap - The US has recently ended all health funding to Zimbabwe after the two countries failed to reach consensus regarding the terms of a bilateral agreement.
The consequences for HIV prevention will likely be dire, according to a new modelling study: 75,440 new infections within a year, over half from disruptions to antiretroviral treatment (ART) programmes, and a quarter from lack of access to prevention programmes, such as PrEP and voluntary medical male circumcision.
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Recent Medicaid ruling is a reprieve for HIV/AIDS community
November 3, 2026 - By Sarah Boden - CIDRAP - Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy - University of Minnesota - Americans with HIV and other complex medical needs got mostly good news about their Medicaid coverage last week.
A ruling out of the US District Court in Boston found that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), led by Mehmet Oz, MD, exceeded its regulatory authority with a provision that sought to limit which Medicaid enrollees are exempt from a new work requirement by narrowing the definition of “medically frail.”
Judge Richard G. Stearns, however, upheld two other CMS provisions affecting medically frail adults that were opposed by states that sued CMS. The plaintiffs had argued, in part, that these new administrative hurdles from CMS would inflict harm and chaos.
Because Medicaid is a publicly funded insurance program for low-income people, advocates and policy experts warn that the fallout of this ruling and possible appeal could still result in some Americans with HIV losing coverage. This could hinder their access to lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART), carrying serious implications for public health.
FDA Approves Generic Lenacapavir PrEP — But Not for the U.S.
October 29, 2026 - By Eva Lorenz - POZ - An inexpensive generic version of the twice-yearly injectable prevention drug will be offered in more than 100 countries with a high burden of HIV.
The generic version, from India’s Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, will be offered in more than 100 low-income countries at an annual cost of $40. Initial supplies could be distributed by the end of this year, according to Unitaid, which supported the development and regulatory filing of the generic.
But generic lenacapavir will not be available in the United States, where Gilead’s brand-name version, Yeztugo, costs around $28,000 a year. The FDA approval enables U.S. government procurement of the generic while the branded product remains under patent and can help speed up regulatory approval in other countries. The final patents on Yeztugo do not expire until 2040.
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U.S. FDA approves first generic injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention
Geneva, 2 November 2026 - Unitaid - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first generic long-acting injectable for HIV prevention, just 16 months after the approval of the originator product. A novel regulatory strategy resulted in one of the fastest timelines to approval for a major HIV innovation to date.
Developed by Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories with financial, technical, and regulatory support from Unitaid, Wits RHI, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) to accelerate the product’s development and regulatory filing and speed up lenacapavir’s market entry.
Under the existing partnership agreement, Dr. Reddy’s lenacapavir injection will be available at US$40 per person per year for the 120 low- and middle-income countries included in Gilead’s voluntary license.
First supplies of the generic are expected to reach countries before the end of the year, with broader availability in 2027.
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories has secured FDA tentative approval for the first generic injectable lenacapavir, just 16 months after a Gilead’s originator product was approved for HIV prevention. The milestone brings an affordable version of the highly effective, twice-yearly HIV prevention injection closer to people in 120 low-and middle-income countries, with initial supplies expected to reach countries by end of 2026.
New service brings geriatric care to older adults living with HIV
November 2, 2026 - By Paul Govern - Vanderbilt Health - By 2040 more than one in three patients with HIV is expected to be 65 or older.
When Jessica Castilho, MD, MPH, meets a patient newly diagnosed with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), she delivers news that would have been hard to imagine a generation ago: &ldquo:HIV does not shorten one’s life expectancy like it once did.”
That progress has created a new need, and Vanderbilt Health has launched a service to meet it. The Older Adult Care (OAC) Service at the Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC), the HIV clinic at Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks, began seeing patients in August, bringing geriatric specialty care into the clinic where patients already receive their HIV care and primary care.
Rutgers Is Awarded $3.6 Million to Improve Heart and Metabolic Health in Older Adults With HIV
November 2, 2026 - By Nicole Swenarton - RUTGERS - Researchers will examine chronic disease risks, gaps in treatment and medication effectiveness and safety among 50 and older adults with HIV
With a $3.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, Rutgers researchers will conduct one of largest and most comprehensive studies of heart and metabolic conditions among older adults living with HIV.
Advances in treatment have helped people with HIV live longer than ever before, but as this population ages, a new challenge is emerging: managing chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease, often with limited evidence about which treatments work best.
“We have made tremendous progress in helping people with HIV live longer, but the evidence guiding treatment of age-related conditions has not kept pace,” said Chintan Dave, a core member of the Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science at the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research. “Our study will help determine who is at greatest risk, where treatment gaps exist and which medications offer the greatest benefits with the fewest harms.”
Cheap version of HIV-prevention shot raising hope in low-income countries
Nov 02, 2026 - The Associated Press - CTV News - Generic version of twice-a-year shot expected to cost $40 US a year per person
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic version of the world's only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV — a big step toward making the drug available inexpensively and more quickly in 120 low— and middle-income countries.
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Forty Years of Study and Still No Vaccine: Stand Up for Science Covers HIV Treatment History in Latest ‘Traces Thursday’
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ - Stand Up For Science - The tenth installment of the series follows four decades of research in the quest to cure HIV and AIDS
Stand Up for Science has released the tenth installment of its weekly “Traces Thursday” series, case studies in scientific patience that trace the long and winding roads of basic research that lead to groundbreaking discoveries. This week’s story, “HIV infection treatment and prevention,” traces the development of drugs for controlling transmission and infection of HIV.
When it first emerged in 1981, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, caused by the then-unknown Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), was an untreatable disease that led to over a hundred thousand deaths by the end of the decade. Just a couple years later, researchers identified HIV as the cause of AIDS and unlocked its genomic sequence, and the quest for a treatment began. In 1984, the then-Secretary for Health and Human Services estimated a vaccine would be ready for testing within two years.
Barbados eliminates mother-to-child transmission of HIV
October 30, 2026 - World Health Organization - Barbados has eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV as a public health problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced, marking a major public health milestone resulting from years of sustained efforts to ensure babies are born free of HIV.
Barbados now joins a group of 26 countries and territories worldwide recognized by WHO for eliminating mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV, syphilis or hepatitis B, or for being on track to achieve it. Fifteen are in the Americas, making the region the global leader in these achievements.
Why sexually transmitted infections are rising in Canada
OCTOBER 30 2026 - By Archie Niari - CTV News - Canada is seeing a troubling rise in sexually transmitted infections, with syphilis rates more than quadrupling over a decade and more babies being born with the potentially life-threatening infection.
The latest report from Canada’s chief public health officer warns that rates of syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea have been climbing, raising concerns about missed diagnoses, barriers to testing and growing antibiotic resistance.
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Braking AIDS Ride 2026 Kicked Off With Philly Protests Against Federal Cuts to HIV Care
October 29, 2026 - By Eva Lorenz - POZ - By 2040, nearly half of people with HIV will be older than 65, and their Medicare costs could reach $200 billion, models project.
The 2026 Braking AIDS Ride, a two-day, 175-mile bike trek from Philadelphia to New York City, raised more than $420,000 in support of Housing Works, a New York–based nonprofit fighting to end HIV and homelessness through healthcare, advocacy and social enterprises.
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UNAIDS welcomes Mark Dybul as the new Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
GENEVA 28 October 2026 - UNAIDS - The Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) congratulates Mark Dybul on his appointment as the new Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund).
UNAIDS also warmly welcomes the new Global Fund Chair and Vice-Chair, Erna Solberg and Javier Hourcade Bellocq. “UNAIDS Joint Programme looks forward to continuing to work closely with Mr Dybul and the Global Fund partnership to support countries and communities to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and sustain the progress into the future,” said Angeli Achrekar, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS and Board Member of the Global Fund. “By connecting financing with country-level data, policy expertise and engagement with communities, the Global Fund and UNAIDS can help ensure that investments are aligned with national and community priorities and deliver lasting results.”
Global Fund Board Appoints Mark Dybul as Next Executive Director
GENEVA - 28 October 2026 - The Global Fund - Today at the 56th Board Meeting of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund), the Board appointed Dr. Mark Dybul as the organization’s next Executive Director. He will begin his four-year term in early 2027.
Dybul, a medical doctor, has extensive experience in global health and development including as former Executive Director of the Global Fund from 2013 to 2017. Earlier in his career, Dybul was instrumental in the development of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a long-time partner of the Global Fund. He held various roles, including leading the initiative as the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator from 2006 to 2009.
Long-Acting Cabenuva Durably Suppresses HIV in Real-World Study
October 28, 2026 - By Liz Highleyman - POZ - Most people who received cabotegravir and rilpivirine injections every month or two maintained good adherence and viral suppression.
A large majority of people with HIV who switched from daily pills to long-acting Cabenuva (cabotegravir and rilpivirine) injections remained in care, stayed on treatment and maintained viral suppression for more than a year, according to results from the OPERA study presented at IDWeek 2026.
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New partnership platform pioneers innovative financing for Girls’ Health and Well-being
October 28, 2026 - South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) - South Africa’s Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD), the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), Organon and Tiko launched the Girls’ Partnership Platform in Ekurhuleni this week. This national, outcomes-based financing mechanism represents a groundbreaking step forward in expanding adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) services across South Africa.
This initiative comes at a critical moment in the global development landscape. As global funding for sexual and reproductive health tightens, the Platform introduces a timely, sustainable financial structure that optimises every dollar and rand spent. By shifting public and partner investments away from paying for operational activities to paying strictly for verified, measurable health outcomes, the mechanism maximises fiscal accountability while opening new sustainable funding channels. South Africa is already a global leader in Outcomes-Based Financing, having hosted the Outcomes Finance Alliance Summit in 2026.
Cancer Therapy Is Turning Heads
October 28, 2026 - By Andy Carstens - TheBody - Although CAR-T cell therapy is primarily known as a cancer treatment, it actually was first tried in the 1990s as an HIV intervention that didn’t initially work.
Today, after decades of improving the technology to fight certain blood cancers, researchers are once again applying it to HIV. The hope is that genetically engineered T cells will one day yield a functional cure: One that doesn’t entirely eradicate the virus from a person’s body but allows the body to control it without needing to take antiretroviral therapy (ART).
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HIV did not end my story: Three decades of survival and hope
October 28, 2026 - By Piason Maringwa - THE HEARLD - I have always dedicated October, my birthday month, to reflecting on and writing about my life journey with HIV. My intention is not to generate sympathy but to inspire others to soldier on, knowing that there is still much life to live after testing positive.
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Meghalaya face surging HIV crisis, warns CM Conrad Sangma
SHILLONG, OCT 27 - Nagaland Post - Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday warned that the state’s HIV/AIDS burden is rising annually, calling for a “whole-of-society” approach to curb the spreading health crisis.
“Meghalaya is among the States with the highest HIV/AIDS burden in the country, with numbers growing every year, and that controlling it requires the participation of every citizen, not just Meghalaya AIDS Control Society (MACS), the health department, or the government,” Sangma said.
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ECDC to deploy experts as Ebola cases emerge in Kenya and Nigeria
Stockholm, 27 October 2026 - European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDC) - Following the emergence of Ebola disease in Kenya and Nigeria, and with the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remaining serious, the European Centre for Disease Protection and Control (ECDC) is increasing its efforts to support investigations and local response by sending a team of ECDC experts to Nigeria.
The team deployed to Nigeria this week is led by ECDC’s senior expert in epidemic intelligence. The experts will provide advice and technical support to the EU Delegation in Abuja, while support has also been offered to the Nigerian authorities to assist with surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, as well as preparedness and response.
ECDC has been providing direct support since the current Ebola outbreak began in May 2026, with the first experts deployed to support Africa CDC in May. In June, the Centre led a fact-finding mission on exit screening at airports in DRC and Uganda, while experts have also been deployed to South Sudan. All deployments are coordinated by the EU Health Task Force, which provides support to countries in Europe and around the world to identify gaps in preparedness and response connected to infectious diseases. The Task Force also provides expert advice, operational support and technical guidance wherever needed, helping to strengthen health security.
Meet The Women Pushing HIV Research Forward
October 27, 2026 - amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research - Two amfAR-funded scientists reflect on origins of their scientific curiosity, the mentors that shaped their careers, and how they’re advancing the field
Women have driven groundbreaking medical discoveries and helped unravel some of science’s greatest mysteries. HIV research has been shaped by extraordinary women, including Nobel Laureate Dr. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and amfAR founding chairman Dr. Mathilde Krim.
Today, two amfAR grantees, Dr. Ebony Gary and Dr. Carine Van Lint, are advancing that legacy. Although separated by generations and continents, Drs. Gary and Van Lint share the determination to tackle the most pressing questions in HIV science and a commitment to prepare the next generation of researchers.
Focus Features’ ‘Elsinore’ to Receive Gotham Legacy Tribute in Honor of Ian Charleson
October 24, 2026 - By Erik Anderson - Awards Watch - The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced that Focus Features’ Elsinore will receive the Gotham Legacy Tribute in Honor of Ian Charleson at the 36th Annual Gotham Film Awards Ceremony, taking place on Monday, November 30, 2026 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. The tribute will recognize the film, led by star Andrew Scott, screenwriter Stephen Beresford, and director Simon Stone, for bringing the legacy of Charleson, the celebrated actor and advocate to new audiences.
“In his final months, Ian Charleson affirmed his talent, his determination, and what it means to be an actor,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute. &ldquo:With Elsinore, Andrew Scott, Stephen Beresford, Simon Stone, and the entire production team have made a deeply moving film about a life devoted to performance and the community that supported him. We are delighted to celebrate Elsinore with the Gotham Legacy Tribute in recognition of the remarkable artist who inspired it.”
HIV prevention jab offers hope in Uganda but doses are hard to find
October 24, 2026 - By AP - Africa News - Nyamwija is the founder of a Mbarara-based organisation known as Action for Improved Health and Wealth.
It offers HIV support services to women who would face discrimination elsewhere.
That support is much needed here in Mbarara, a city in western Ugandan city, where the HIV rate is higher than the national average.
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Grandmothers group crafts up new ways to support HIV education, treatment
October 24, 2026 - By Hannah Kavanagh - CTV News - There’s a gang in town, and they’re comprised primarily of women who care about your health.
The Grandmothers of Alberta for a New Generation (GANG) was hosting its largest annual craft sale on Saturday at the Southminster-Steinhauer United Church for HIV and AIDS education and treatment across the world.
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The Global Fund Approves US$3.47 Million to Deliver Lifesaving TB and Malaria Services in Conflict-Affected Sudan
GENEVA - 23 October 2026 - The Global Fund - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) has approved US$3.47 million in emergency funding to deliver essential tuberculosis (TB) and malaria diagnostics and medicines to eight Sudanese states severely affected by the ongoing conflict.
The funding builds on the US$1.6 million allocated through the Emergency Fund in March 2026, which supported the scale-up of TB diagnosis and treatment for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities across 10 states.
New $24M federal investment fuels Western-led bid to cure HIV
October 23, 2026 - Western News - Western University - IMMUNEQUITY brings Canadian and Ugandan teams together to deliver equitable access from the start
A Western-led international research initiative to develop an accessible HIV cure has received $24 million in federal funding to promote its equitable approach to advancing treatment. The six-year project aims to deliver promising treatments for first-in-human clinical trials while building capacity for cost effective production and delivery in Canada and Uganda.
The new investment supports IMMUNEQUITY, a large-scale collaboration led by Western and involving researchers from the University of British Columbia, the University of Ottawa, Université de Montréal and the University of Manitoba, alongside partners in Uganda and industry. The federal New Frontiers in Research Fund’s Transformation stream supports Canadian-led interdisciplinary projects tackling major global challenges with the potential for lasting change.
IMMUNEQUITY, led by Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry’s Eric Arts, aims to develop an HIV cure that can be made affordable and accessible in countries where the need is greatest. The international team will combine new treatment approaches with frugal biomedical technologies that lower the cost of making, delivering and monitoring the treatment. It will also help build the policies, partnerships and manufacturing capacity needed to bring these innovations to people in Uganda and across sub-Saharan Africa.
Nearly 40 million people worldwide live with HIV. Most require daily medication for life.
For Giving a Voice to Women Living With HIV
October 22, 2026 - by Sasha Roeder Mah - UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA - 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Judy Mill built a trailblazing career in global public health, advocacy and HIV research from Edmonton to Sub-Saharan Africa
Judy Mill, ’96 MN, ’00 PhD, has always marched to her own rhythm. When people told her at age 22 that she should buy a house and settle down, not fly off to Africa for two years as a Cuso International volunteer, she paid them no mind. Years later, when friends questioned her family’s move to Zimbabwe to do clinical work with Peace Corps, while her son was in high school, she brushed off their concerns. In fact, “that turned out to be the best educational experience he’s ever had!” she recalls happily. And when colleagues worried that her international work might slow down her path to tenure, Mill was undeterred.
uOttawa scientists uncover the molecular pillars that shape our cells’ powerpacks
October 22, 2026 - UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA - IMMUNEQUITY brings Canadian and Ugandan teams together to deliver equitable access from the start
Mitochondria are the tiny powerpacks that supply most of the energy our cells need. Their ability to generate this energy relies on a distinctive architecture: two membranes, one tucked inside the other, separated by a narrow gap called the intermembrane space (IMS). This tiny space helps sustain the chemistry of energy production, making its organization critical to how these cellular powerpacks function.
Now, a new study led by a University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine investigator reports a potentially transformative discovery: the volume of the IMS is genetically controlled and adjustable. By controlling where this space expands or narrows within each mitochondrion, cells can actively shape the internal architecture of their powerpacks and tune how they function.
Published in Science Advances, the study identifies SPRIZ—short for ‘Spatial Regulator of the mitochondrial Intermembrane Zone’—as a key protein that cells use to shape the internal architecture of their powerpacks.
Nashville judge temporarily blocks immigration status checks in HIV/AIDS program
October 22, 2026 - By Anita Wadhwani - Tennessee Lookout - Chancellor I’Ashea L. Myles set a Nov. 4 hearing to further consider the challenge by Nashville CARES to new state rules requiring immigration status verification as a condition of receiving healthcare and services in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program.
A Nashville judge temporarily blocked Tennessee health officials from requiring immigration status checks of HIV-positive individuals enrolled in a healthcare safety-net program.
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The U.S. HIV Population is Getting Older
October 21, 2026 - By Liz Highleyman - POZ - By 2040, nearly half of people with HIV will be older than 65, and their Medicare costs could reach $200 billion, models project.
The median age of people with HIV in the United States is rising, meaning healthcare systems will need to adapt to their evolving needs and cost of care, according to a pair of modeling studies published in JAMA Network Open. One model suggests that reducing the cost of antiretroviral treatment could lead to more than $19 billion in Medicare savings over the next 10 years.
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Infectious disease specialists protest HIV funding cuts
October 21, 2026 - By Liz Szabo - CIDRAP - Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy - University of Minnesota - Infectious disease specialists gathered for an annual infectious disease conference in Washington, DC, today rallied to protest funding cuts to HIV research, prevention, and treatment.
“Nothing has hurt me as much in the last year as the cruel and devastating cuts and attempts to silence us around HIV care, advocacy and research,” said Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH, CEO of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), one of the organizers of the IDWeek 2026 conference.
&Ldquo;Please keep fighting,” said Marazzo, told the crowd of about 100 people. “We really need to just not look away for a second.”
1,700 treatment facilities shuttered
International government funding for HIV response fell by $2.1 billion in 2025, a drop of 25%, mostly because of decreases in funding by the Trump administration. About 1,700 HIV treatment facilities have shut down worldwide.
Last month, nearly 100 community-based organizations in the United States lost their federal HIV-prevention grants, which are being given to state and local health departments instead.
Lawsuit: Tennessee to impose immigration checks in HIV/AIDS safety-net program
Oct 20, 2026 - By Anita Wadhwani - News From The States - In August, Tennessee organizations that aid low-income individuals living with HIV received a surprise memo from the state’s health department:
“Effective immediately,” the memo said, “no patients without documentation of citizenship or legal residency may be newly enrolled” in many of the services provided through the federal Ryan White HIV/AIDS program or a companion program known as HOPWA, or Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS.
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Using AI in the Global Fight Against HIV
October 20, 2026 - By Anne J. Manning - Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Researchers are testing whether artificial intelligence could incentivize HIV testing, treatment
With partners in South Africa, Harvard researchers are testing whether artificial intelligence could enhance a digital health intervention program aimed at generating peer referrals for HIV services.
A field trial involving a free, confidential AI health coach and chatbot that’s now underway in the KwaZulu-Natal province is part of HIV-LIFT, a larger initiative for improving HIV testing and care.
When faced with the possibility of an HIV diagnosis, sometimes the best initial prescription is support from a trusted friend — someone who might offer not just emotional guidance, but also critical, practical health resources.
A Harvard research team thinks artificial intelligence has a role to play in that process.
Led by Milind Tambe, the Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science in the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), researchers are testing whether AI could enhance a digital health intervention program aimed at generating peer referrals for HIV services, especially among populations that have been traditionally harder to reach. South Africa has about 8 million people living with HIV — the highest of any country in the world.
From “good news” to “failure”: how French participants experienced an HIV remission trial
20 October 2026 - By Edith Magak - aidsmap - Treatment resumption was the most difficult phase for participants who stopped HIV treatment in a trial aiming to find post-treatment controllers, a study published in the journal AIDS found. All who had to restart treatment after their virus rebounded felt disappointed and most saw it as a failure. Some participants said their healthcare providers had framed the invitation to join the trial as “good news”, only to describe their return to treatment as a “failure”.
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UCT study links slower walking to cognitive decline in people living with HIV
October 19, 2026 - University of Cape Town - UCT - How fast people living with HIV walk could provide important clues about their brain health, a University of Cape Town (UCT) study by the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health’s Neuroscience Institute has found. The research links slower walking speeds to poorer cognitive performance and identifies changes in brain connectivity that may help explain the relationship.
The research, published in the Journal of NeuroVirology, found that among people living with HIV (PLWH), slower walking speed was significantly associated with poorer overall cognitive performance and functioning, particularly in memory and motor skills. This relationship was linked to changes in the brain’s frontoparietal network (FPN), a key network involved in executive functioning, attention and cognitive control.
The researchers found that PLWH who walked more slowly tended to have altered connectivity within this network, and these connectivity patterns were also associated with poorer executive function.
amfAR Raised $2.2 Million at London Gala
London, England, October 17, 2026 - amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research - Jeremy Irons and Philip Treacy Honored
Rita Ora and Jamie Miller performed
Event Presented by Audi and The Chancery Rosewood Hotel
Last night, amfAR raised $2.2 million in support of its mission to find a cure for HIV and improve global health at the second annual amfAR London gala at The Chancery Rosewood. The evening honored Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons and renowned milliner Philip Treacy for their contributions to amfAR’s cause, as well as a special performance by internationally celebrated singer, actor, producer, and longtime amfAR supporter Rita Ora; the evening opened with a performance from singer-songwriter Jamie Miller.
Currently climbing the charts in the UK, Miller opened the night with a moving cover of Aerosmith’s “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing,” as well as his hit single “Babydoll.” Kelly Osbourne then welcomed guests with heartfelt remarks about the personal significance of having amfAR in her hometown and her many years of support for amfAR’s HIV research.
AHF Commemorates 40 Years of Global Impact During Annual World AIDS Day Concert Celebration Featuring Ricky Martin
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) -- October 16, 2026 - LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest, non-profit public health organization providing direct HIV/ADS services to over 3.3 million clients across the globe, will celebrate 40 years of impact during its annual World AIDS Day concert commemoration. Continuing his partnership with AHF, Ricky Martin will headline the free event scheduled for the evening of Monday, November 30, 2026, at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California.
Martin – a multi-award-winning global star and philanthropist has used his platform to bring greater awareness and support for various issues around HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, and LGBTQIA+ rights. He joined AHF in 2023 to perform to a sold-out crowd as the headliner for the organization’s World AIDS Day concert at the Watsco Center at the University of Miami (UM) in Coral Gables, Florida.
AHF is returning to the Kia Forum to present this year’s commemoration and celebrate its 40th anniversary. AHF held its event at the iconic venue in 2021 when celebrating the organization’s 35th anniversary, which featured Christina Aguliera and Jennifer Hudson.
Study details surprising human immune cell link to HIV
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - October 15, 2026 - By Steve Koppes - Purdue University - A prominent protein on most human cells may be key to unlocking the code that makes humans susceptible to pathogenic bacteria and viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), according to a new study in Science Immunology led by researchers at Purdue University and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
The work — co-led by Purdue’s Majid Kazemian and NHLBI’s Claudia Kemper — looked at a protein called CD46, which is a part of the complement system, nature’s oldest and fastest immune defense system.
Several pathogenic bacteria and viruses, including those that cause respiratory illnesses and HIV, exploit CD46 to attach to, enter, or interact with host cells, triggering or hijacking host-cell signaling and immune responses. The research identified how signals from CD46 turn genes on or off inside T cells, which spearhead the body’s immune response, to control their functions. The results were surprising.
The Plague, Rare but Still Around, Is Both Preventable and Treatable
October 15, 2026 - By Genevieve Rajewski - Tufts Now - Tufts University - The bacteria that caused the Black Death in the Middle Ages persists in the U.S. and abroad, but human deaths are largely avoidable
After the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world, the last thing anyone wants to see in the news is word of another plague–especially the plague. So some people may be feeling particularly concerned about news reports that the plague may have killed a young laboratory worker in Russia.
“When you hear about the plague, you may think of the Black Death–the epidemic estimated to have killed 50 million people or more during the 1300s,” said Felicia Nutter, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACZM, V93, an associate professor of infectious disease and global health at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.
The World Health Organization continues to investigate this case, but there’s no need to panic, said Nutter, a board-certified wildlife veterinarian and epidemiologist. The plague has never left–it has been here all along, even in the United States–and it can usually be treated with antibiotics, so long as it is properly diagnosed.
“Choose U” Campaign Boosts the Power of U=U With New HIV Stories
October 15, 2026 - By Trent Straube - POZ - A new batch of ambassadors promote Gilead Sciences’ “Choose ” initiative and share stories of healthy, undetectable life with HIV.
A new group of “Choose U” ambassadors is spreading the word that people living with HIV who maintain an undetectable HIV viral load cannot transmit the virus through sex, a fact often referred to as Undetectable Equals Untransmutable, or U=U.
U=U is not only a life-affirming message for people affected by HIV, it’s also a pivotal element of global efforts to lower HIV rates and end the epidemic. To promote the message, HIV pharma leader Gilead Sciences launched a global campaign titled “Choose U” last September at the 2025 U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA).
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Belgium urged to strengthen insurance protections for people with HIV
14 October 2026 - By Chase Pray - The Brussels Times - On Tuesday, Belgium’s equality body Unia posted a recommendation stating the federal government needs to strengthen insurance rules for people with HIV, saying they can face higher premiums or be denied cover despite advances in medical treatment.
In their statement, Unia called on the government to ban extra charges or refusals for people with HIV in instances where there isn’t a medical reason for care to be administered differently. The organisation added that if care is refused or insurers impose added fees, they should be required to justify their reasoning with clear, scientifically backed evidence.
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Rice scientists engineer new tool to improve detection of HIV and other viruses
October 13, 2026 - By Rachel Leeson - RICE UNIVERSITY NEWS - RICE UNIVERSITY - New enzyme optimized for RNA detection assays
Scientists have long used a powerful gene-editing tool called CRISPR to make precise changes to DNA. But a different version of the technology, known as Cas13a, targets RNA, the genetic material found in viruses such as HIV. Now, researchers at Rice University have developed an improved version of Cas13a that could make it easier to detect HIV and other RNA viruses in blood and environmental samples. The study was published in Cell Chemical Biology.
"Any enzyme used in an assay needs to be both sensitive and stable,” said Yang Gao, an associate professor of biosciences and the corresponding author on this paper. “It needs to be able to detect very small amounts of RNA while enduring harsh conditions, like high temperatures. Here, we took a stable Cas13a and engineered it to have the desired sensitivity.”
Trump’s global health strategy has harmed HIV work in Uganda, Zimbabwe
October 13, 2026 - By Jim Wappes - CIDRAP - Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy - University of Minnesota - Two African countries saw major declines in HIV/AIDs prevention services after the United States abruptly froze foreign aid, according to an analysis published this month in The Lancet.
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), created in 2003 under President George W. Bush, is the largest external funder of HIV services globally. Shortly after President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, his administration paused all existing foreign assistance awards, including PEPFAR, to reassess whether international aid was funding programs that aligned with the new “America First Global Health Strategy.”
The move was criticized for causing chaos and depriving vital HIV/AIDs prevention work of critical funding, and the Lancet analysis found the interruption indeed resulted in “severe, immediate, and sustained reductions in service delivery.”
Benue moves to protect HIV treatment for over 197,000 patients
12 October 2026 - By Scholastica Hir - The Sun Nigeria - Benue State Government has moved to safeguard HIV/AIDS services for more than 197,000 people currently receiving care under programmes supported by APIN Public Health Initiatives, as international donor funding begins to decline.
Of the more than 197,000 people receiving various HIV/AIDS care services, over 183,000 are currently on treatment through supported services across 264 health facilities in the state, according to figures presented at the programme review meeting.
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Population Living With HIV Projected to Age in Coming Years
October 9, 2026 - By Samantha Anderer - JAMA - The median age of adult people with diagnosed HIV in the US is projected to increase from 51 years to 61 years by 2040, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.
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R.I.P. Yolanda Ross, a Fierce Advocate for Women and Those Living With HIV
Ocotober 9, 2026 - By Trent Straube - POZ - A social worker and counselor in Houston, Yolanda Ross also championed people in recovery. She was also a member of HIV groups PWN-USA and NMAC.
olonda Ross, DSW, LCSW-S, LCDC, a beloved champion for the HIV community, women and people struggling with addiction and recovery, died September 27, 2026. She was 56. A cause of death was not disclosed, but fellow advocates, colleagues and friends praised her accomplishments and character in an outpouring of posts for the public worker based in Houston.
Services will be held Thursday, October 15, at Windsor Village Church Family in Houston.
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Michael Kearns, actor and HIV/AIDS activist, dies age 76
9 October 2026 - By Aaron Sugg - Attitude Magazine - Celebrated as one of Hollywood’s first openly gay actors to publicly disclose his HIV-positive status, he used his career to challenge stigma, homophobia and social inequality
Michael Kearns, actor and HIV/AIDS advocate, died on October 5, 2026, aged 76. His death was confirmed by his longtime friend and journalist Karen Ocamb and filmmaker and professor Roland Palencia.
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How a New Long-Acting HIV Drug Combo Tackles Resistance
October 8, 2026 - By October 8, 2026 - UCSF - University of California, San Francisco - A new long-acting HIV treatment could expand options for people who have trouble taking daily pills and whose virus is resistant to some commonly used HIV drugs, according to a new UC San Francisco study.
Unlike daily HIV pills, long-acting treatments can be given weeks or months apart, which can make it easier for people who struggle to take medication every day. The only approved long-acting combination pairs cabotegravir with rilpivirine. But HIV can develop resistance to rilpivirine and related drugs, limiting its use for some people. Moreover, rilpivirine is not available in low- and middle-income countries.
The new approach replaces rilpivirine with lenacapavir, a long-acting drug that attacks HIV in a different way. In the new study, all the participants achieved and maintained control of the virus.
The findings, published Oct. 8 in JAMA Network Open and funded through the National Institutes of Health, could help address an important gap in long-acting HIV treatment.
MICHAELA JAÉ RODRIGUEZ TO BE HONORED BY APLA HEALTH AT THE 42ND ANNUAL AIDS WALK LOS ANGELES ON OCTOBER 18, 2026
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - ALPA Health - Joel Kim Booster to present Rodriguez with the Voice of Visibility Award, followed by an Opening Ceremony Performance from Singer/Songwriter David Archuleta
APLA Health announced today it will present its inaugural Voice of Visibility Award to honor actress and activist Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (Pose, Loot) on Sunday, October 18, 10:30 a.m. at the 42nd annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles, a fundraising event celebrating life, honoring those who have been lost, and taking action against HIV. On-screen co-star and advocate Joel Kim Booster will present Rodriguez with the honor during the AIDS Walk kick-off ceremony in West Hollywood Park, which will also feature a live performance from David Archuleta. Registration is now open at aidswalkla.org.
Trends in reported HIV diagnoses, exposure patterns, and AIDS-related mortality in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 2014–2023
October 8, 2026 - Nature - Abstract
The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) continues to face a substantial HIV burden, with increasing numbers of reported diagnoses, heterogeneous exposure patterns, and persistent AIDS-related mortality. Despite global progress, countries of EMR remain far from achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. This analysis of regional HIV surveillance data presents trends in reported diagnoses, exposure patterns, and AIDS-related mortality across EMR countries from 2014 to 2023. We analyzed country-level aggregated HIV surveillance data submitted annually to the WHO Regional Office for the EMR from 2014 to 2023. Data included new HIV diagnoses, exposure modes, demographic characteristics, and AIDS-related deaths. Descriptive analyses were performed to assess temporal trends, country-level disparities, and reporting completeness. Newly reported HIV diagnoses in the EMR increased sevenfold, from 3,717 in 2014 to 26,314 in 2023, with men accounting for nearly three-quarters of diagnoses. Exposure data, available for 73.6% of cases in 2023, indicated heterosexual contact as the most frequently reported route, followed by injecting drug use, same-sex contact, and blood exposure, though substantial proportions remained unknown. Exposure patterns varied markedly across countries, reflecting both epidemiological context and surveillance limitations. Over the study period, 22,569 deaths were reported, with greatest numbers from Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia. Mortality disproportionately affected men over the study period, though sex-disaggregated data were incomplete in several settings. HIV in the EMR is characterized by rising diagnoses, heterogenous reported exposure, and significant mortality, with major reporting gaps in coverage and completeness. Strengthening surveillance systems, expanding diversified testing strategies, and scaling up culturally sensitive prevention and treatment services are critical to improve epidemic control. Regional collaboration and integration of harm reduction, sexual health, and stigma reduction strategies remain essential for improving outcomes and achieving HIV control targets.
Chicago study looks at ways of bringing people with HIV back into care
October 8, 2026 - By Sean R. Hosein - Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) - Researchers recruited 100 people with HIV who had fallen out of care to re-engage in HIV care
Nearly half of participants reported housing insecurity and 35% reported food insecurity
At 48 weeks, 66 participants remained in the study and 54 of them were virally suppressed
When initiated and used as directed, HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy, ART) can reduce levels of HIV in the blood. Over time, with continued adherence, HIV falls to very low levels in the blood. These low levels are commonly called undetectable—meaning that HIV levels are so low that they cannot be detected with routinely used lab tests.
Suppressing HIV helps the immune system repair itself and allows many ART users to have a long and healthy life. Indeed, researchers project that young people who start ART today will live well into their senior years, provided they continue to take treatment and keep HIV suppressed.
Another benefit of viral suppression is that people with HIV who have an undetectable viral load cannot pass on the virus to their sexual partners.
Medicine Called PrEP Can Prevent HIV, but Partner Reactions Might Stand in the Way
October 7, 2026 - Rutgers University - Rutgers researchers explore how anticipated partner reactions may influence a woman’s decision to use pre-exposure prophylaxis
Fears of accusations of infidelity, the stigma surrounding HIV and causing conflict in a relationship might deter some Black women from using PrEP, a prescription medicine used to prevent HIV, according to a study led by Rutgers researchers.
The study, published in Health Communication and led by Maria Venetis and Shawnika Hull, both professors at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information, underscores a need for communication support as the HIV prevention medication is critical in efforts to end the epidemic.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective, easy-to-take HIV prevention medication in the form of a daily pill or injectable and the first and only form of HIV prevention that can be both woman-controlled and discreet, the researchers said.
Deep mutational scanning reveals unappreciated mutational tolerance for the HIV-1 Vif protein
October 7, 2026 - By K Woodruff - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center - From the Emerman Lab, Human Biology Division
Viruses and their hosts are constantly engaged in a battle over an evolutionary timescale. To avoid infection, host cells develop new machinery to inhibit viral invasion, and in response, the virus develops ways to subvert this host machinery and infect the cell. This “evolutionary arms race” happens across many viruses, including HIV-1, the virus that targets the immune system and results in lifelong infection.
One of the most well-characterized arms races involves HIV-1’s Vif protein and the human antiviral protein, APOBEC3G or A3G. A3G is a cytidine deaminase that acts on single-stranded viral DNA replication intermediates. HIV infections are lifelong because the virus can integrate viral genes into the human genome using the enzyme reverse transcriptase. A3G can interrupt this process by being incorporated into budding virions. When these virions infect another cell, A3G localizes to the site of viral DNA synthesis and introduces missense mutations that impair viral replication and block infection.
HIV treatment has transformed lives in the UK, but stigma lingers
October 6, 2026 -By Hannah Revill -The Conversation - Nearly half a century has passed since the first recognised case of Aids in the UK in December 1981. During that time, perceptions of HIV and people living with HIV have been transformed by medical advances and changing cultural attitudes. Yet the stigma created during the early years of the epidemic has proved much harder to leave behind.
Twice as many young women used PrEP in communities reached by South Africa’s My Journey Programme
6, Oct 2026 - South African Medical Research Council | SAMRC - More young women knew their HIV status, but HIV prevalence remained similar to matched comparison communities
Young women living in South African communities reached by the My Journey Programme were twice as likely to have used HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as their peers in comparable communities where the programme was not implemented, according to a new study led by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and published in The Lancet Regional Health – Africa.
The study contributes important evidence on the outcomes of a large-scale combination HIV prevention programme for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first controlled evaluation of a large-scale combination HIV prevention programme for adolescent girls and young women in South Africa to use contemporaneous matched comparison areas and laboratory-confirmed HIV outcomes.
HPV vaccine offers lasting protection for women living with HIV, study finds
October 6, 2026 - UBC - The University of British Columbia - Longest study of its kind could help accelerate global efforts to eliminate cervical cancer
The HPV vaccine provides strong, long-lasting protection for women living with HIV, according to new research from the UBC Faculty of Medicine.
The findings provide important new evidence as countries work toward the World Health Organization’s goal of eliminating cervical cancer. Women living with HIV are six times more likely to be infected with HPV and twice as likely to die from invasive cervical cancer than those without HIV, making vaccination particularly important for this population.
Published in The Lancet HIV, the study followed women living with HIV for up to nine years after HPV vaccination — the longest study to date examining how well the vaccine works in this population. Until now, researchers had little evidence about the vaccine’s effectiveness in women living with HIV beyond two years.
AID FOR AIDS and AID FOR LIFE to Celebrate 30 Years of Global Humanitarian Impact at My Hero Gala in New York
NEW YORK, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - AID FOR AIDS - “Dignity Across Borders” Gala Will Honor Edgar Ramírez, Nathalie Rayes, Maria Eugenia Maury and Mary Ann Torres, While Raising Critical Funds for HIV Treatment, Migrant Integration and Earthquake Recovery in Venezuela
On October 28, 2026, beneath the iconic blue whale at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, AID FOR AIDS and AID FOR LIFE will bring together leaders from entertainment, diplomacy, philanthropy, human rights and global health for the My Hero Gala, commemorating three decades of humanitarian impact grounded in one powerful principle: dignity should have no borders.
The 30th-anniversary celebration, themed “Dignity Across Borders,” will honor four remarkable Venezuelans whose lives and careers embody leadership, service and solidarity across borders: internationally acclaimed actor, producer and activist Edgar Ramírez; Ambassador Nathalie Rayes, former U.S. Ambassador to Croatia and the first Venezuelan-American to serve as a U.S. ambassador; philanthropist and former AID FOR AIDS Board Chair Maria Eugenia Maury; and Venezuelan human-rights lawyer and global HIV/AIDS advocate Mary Ann Torres, former Executive Director of the International Council of AIDS Service Organizations.
‘No risk for Canada’ as Russian lab worker dies of ‘unknown’ illness: minister
October 5, 2026 - By Rachel Goodman - Global News - Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel said Monday that there is “no risk for Canada” following the death of a Russian laboratory worker at a plague research institute in Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, who Russian authorities say died of pneumonia of an unknown cause last week.
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At San Francisco General, researchers are learning how to control HIV without drugs
October 4, 2026 - By Jason Gale - Los Angeles Times - Ever since Steven Deeks began treating HIV and AIDS patients at San Francisco General Hospital in 1993, he was drawn into their community and became especially interested in those whose illness didn’t behave as expected.
Why did some deteriorate more slowly than others? Was their virus different, or was there something unusual about their immune systems?
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Dr. Fauci wins award for lifesaving HIV/AIDS work: “I’m deeply honored to be part of your history”
October 3, 2026 - By Molly Sprayregen - LGBTQ Nation - In his acceptance speech, Fauci gushed about the connection he has built with the LGBTQ+ community through this work.
Dr. Anthony Fauci received the International Role Model Award last Sunday from the LGBTQ+ history organization, Equality Forum, for his work during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis.
Elton John started his AIDS foundation in 1992; it has since raised more than $565 million for HIV programs in 90 countries
Oct 3, 2026 - By Madz Dizon - PARADE - Founded after personal losses including Ryan White and Freddie Mercury.
Elton John’s fight against HIV and AIDS has grown into a global charity effort, with the Elton John AIDS Foundation reporting that it has raised more than $660 million since its founding in 1992.
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Measles milestones: US closes in on 4,000 cases as Pennsylvania nears 1,000
October 2, 2026 - By Jim Wappes - CIDRAP - Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy - University of Minnesota - With three months left of 2026, the United States is closing in on a number of measles cases that would have been unheard of just a couple years ago. With 228 new cases logged this week, the country reached 3,886 infections, just 114 shy of 4,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) weekly update today.
It could top that milestone next week. And US cases could be more than double the 2025 total this month.
The national wave comes as Pennsylvania, the nation’s hot spot, adds more than 100 new cases in the past week to its total for the year. More than two-thirds of the cases in the state involve adults.
HIV linked to greater increase in cardiovascular disease risk for women than men
2 October 2026 - By Peter Endicott - aidsmap - Women living with HIV have almost twice the risk (a 93% increased risk) of cardiovascular disease compared to women without HIV, while men with HIV have a 44% increased risk compared to those without HIV, a study recently in the journal AIDS has found.
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AIDS Memorial Quilt Brings HIV History and Community Legacy to UMSOM
October 1, 2026 - By Jennifer Gonzales - University of Maryland School of Medicine - For a week in mid-September, sixteen panels from the famous AIDS Memorial Quilt were displayed at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine (UMSOM), helping to connect the University community with the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the people whose lives were lost to HIV/AIDS.
The AIDS Memorial Quilt was conceived in November 1985 by longtime human rights activist Cleve Jones as a way to honor and remember people lost to HIV/AIDS. In 2019, the National AIDS Memorial became the Quilt’s permanent caretaker and steward, returning it to San Francisco, where its story began.
Today, the Quilt comprises approximately 50,000 panels commemorating more than 110,000 people, preserving individual stories while reflecting the broader history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Kathryn Derose Receives Award for Community-Partnered Research in Dominican Republic
October 1, 2026 - UMass Amherst - Kathryn P. Derose, professor of community health education in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, was recently recognized at a national accountability and policy event hosted by CONAVIHSIDA—Consejo Nacional para el VIH y el Sida—the Dominican Republic’s National Council for HIV and AIDS.
The Sept. 16 event, “HIV-Sensitive Social Protection in the Dominican Republic: Building Sustainability for the National HIV Response,” brought together high-level government decision makers, institutional leaders, and implementing partners to assess progress in HIV-sensitive social protection and establish policy commitments for advancing these strategies through 2027.
Debbie Allen Partners with Merck to Empower the HIV Community with Your Hive of Whole Health Initiative, 45 Years After the Epidemic Began (Exclusive)
October 1, 2026 - By Angela Andaloro - People - Allen has been outspoken advocate for the HIV community for over four decades
Debbie Allen is continuing to support a cause dear to her heart.
The entertainer, 76, recently teamed up with Merck for the newly unveiled HIV education program, Your Hive of Whole Health. PEOPLE spoke with Allen about the initiative, and she says it’s “brilliant” to emphasize the importance of whole-body wellness for a vulnerable community.
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HIV prevention drug hailed as breakthrough, but who gets access?
1 Oct 2026 - By Angela Andaloro - Al Jazeera - Lenacapavir, a twice-a-year injection could transform HIV prevention, but it will not be available to all.
A medicine injected just twice a year could transform the fight against HIV.
In a 2024 clinical trial involving more than 2,000 young women in South Africa and Uganda, no participants who received lenacapavir contracted HIV.
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