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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - November 2025
UNAIDS chief urges Carney to reverse planned global health funding cuts
November 30, 2025 - By Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press - Global Bews - The head of the United Nations’ HIV/AIDS program is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to reverse his government’s planned cuts to foreign aid and global health funding.
“My message to Prime Minister Carney, to Canada, and to all the other donors is, stay the course,” UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima told The Canadian Press on the sidelines of last week’s G20 leaders’ summit in Johannesburg.
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New Genome BC Funded Project Aims to Bring BC Closer to Ending HIV Transmission
Vancouver - November 28, 2025 - Genome British Columbia - British Columbia has made remarkable progress in reducing HIV transmission and researchers now believe the province is closer than ever to achieving sustained control of new infections.
To support this next stage, Genome British Columbia (Genome BC) is funding a new project that employs advanced genomic and artificial intelligence (AI) enabled tools to better understand how transmission patterns are changing in new HIV diagnoses in BC. Announced on World AIDS Day, this initiative will help public health teams identify the source of new infections and decide what focused actions can help prevent further spread, bringing BC one step closer to ending HIV transmission for good.
Trump team cancels funding for World AIDS Day commemorations after 37 years
November 28, 2025 - European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) - State Department reportedly informed employees earlier this month to refrain from commemorative messaging on World AIDS Day.
The State Department will no longer commemorate World AIDS Day with public messaging, ending a decades-long tradition of the administration recognizing those who have died of the disease and raising awareness on December 1.
Earlier this month, the State Department reportedly instructed employees and grantees not to use federal funding to commemorate the day as part of a federal government policy to “refrain from messaging on any commemorative days,” the New York Times reported Wednesday (26 November).

Fifty Countries Strong: AHF Honors World AIDS Day by Keeping the Promise
Nov. 28, 2025 LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) - In honor of World AIDS Day 2025, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will hold major commemorative concerts and events in early December across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas to emphasize that the work to end HIV/AIDS is far from over—underscored by the 1.3 million new infections that still occur globally each year.
This year’s commemoration also coincides with a historic milestone for AHF: reaching operations in 50 countries worldwide, an extraordinary achievement since the organization first launched its global programs in 2002 in South Africa and Uganda. The observances will promote HIV prevention, testing, condom access, treatment, and care, while demonstrating solidarity with people and communities affected by HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Day is observed annually on Dec. 1.

HIV Long Term Survivor — 40th Anniversary of Being Told I Had Six Months to Live
40 Years of Courage, Resilience, and Positive Living
Vancouver, BC, Canada - November 28, 2025 - By Bradford McIntyre - Bradford McIntyre Positively Positive Living with HIV/AIDS
Forty years ago, on November 28, 1985, I was told I had six months to live. The words were delivered with clinical certainty, spoken softly but carrying the weight of finality. I had learned I was living with HIV the year before, in 1984. Back then, an HIV diagnosis was widely considered a death sentence. HIV was largely misunderstood, treatments were limited, and fear often overshadowed hope. The world did not yet understand HIV, and those of us living with it were confronting fear, stigma, and medical uncertainty in equal measure.
But today, I stand here marking the 40th anniversary of outliving that prognosis, celebrating decades of life, purpose, and advocacy.

Europe’s hidden HIV crisis - Half of all people living with HIV in Europe are diagnosed late, threatening to undermine the fight against AIDS
27 Nov 2025 - European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDC) - Europe is failing to test and treat HIV early, with over half (54%) of all diagnoses in 2024 being made too late for optimal treatment. New data released today by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe warns that this critical testing failure, combined with a growing number of undiagnosed cases, is severely jeopardising the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.
According to the annual HIV/AIDS surveillance report, 105 922 HIV diagnoses were made in the WHO European Region in 2024, covering 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia. While overall reported numbers show a slight decrease compared to 2023, the available data suggest that testing and diagnosis gaps remain. The high proportion of late diagnoses means that many people are not accessing life-saving antiretroviral treatment and healthcare early enough, which increases the risk of developing AIDS, the risk of death and onward HIV transmission.
Meet amfAR Incoming CEO Kyle Clifford
Nov. 26, 2025 - amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research - A diagnosis that changed his life. A mission that could change millions more. Meet amfAR’s incoming CEO—and hear why the search for a cure for HIV is personal.
From Crisis to Cascading Disaster: Invisibility, False Narratives, Societal Inaction Drive Silently Worsening U.S. Latino HIV Epidemic
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/- by The Institute for Policy Solutions at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing - New microsite from Johns Hopkins Latino-health research center offers resources to drive awareness, urge action on U.S. Latino HIV Crisis.
Dec. 1 marks World AIDS Day, a time for global solidarity, remembrance and renewed commitment to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In the United States, significant advances have been achieved in reducing new infections and supporting individuals living with HIV to prevent avoidable deaths. However, Latino communities in the U.S. have faced an escalating HIV crisis for over a decade. Estimated annual new HIV infections from 2010 to 2022 decreased by 19% overall in the U.S., but increased by 12% among Latinos. Among Latino men who have sex with men (MSM), estimated annual HIV infections during this period rose by 24%, while there was a 15% decline among MSM nationwide. For Latino MSM aged 25-34 years, the estimated increase was 95%. Despite these troubling trends, the Latino HIV crisis has gone largely unnoticed and unaddressed. Today, this already serious situation is worsening at a pace that should not be ignored. The Latino HIV crisis has evolved into a cascading disaster—a series of interconnected breakdowns across health, social and structural systems that amplify one another and make the problem increasingly difficult to solve. These trends are alarming and reflect a national failure of HIV prevention and treatment systems to adequately meet the needs of the Latino community.
Trump Administration Will No Longer Commemorate World AIDS Day
The State Department warned employees not to use government funds for the occasion and to “refrain from publicly promoting World AIDS Day through any communication channels.”
Nov. 26, 2025 - By Apoorva Mandavilli - The New York Times - Every year since 1988, the United States has marked Dec. 1 as World AIDS Day, when people mourn those who died of the disease, honor efforts to contain the epidemic and raise awareness among the general public.
Not this year.
The State Department this month instructed employees and grantees not to use funds from the United States government to commemorate the day. The directive is part of a broader policy “to refrain from messaging on any commemorative days, including World AIDS Day,” according to an email viewed by The New York Times.
Listen & Read...
Elton John AIDS Foundation and Zipline: $150M US State Department Boost Accelerates HIV Care Innovation
LONDON, Nov. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) - The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) today celebrates Zipline’s $150 million funding from the U.S. State Department to triple its lifesaving drone delivery network, a milestone that builds on the Foundation's catalytic early support and cements their role in pioneering drone-enabled HIV care across Africa. The award is based on a first-of-its-kind pay-for-performance model, demonstrating how early philanthropic support helped underscore Zipline's growing impact.
From the outset, EJAF was an early supporter of Zipline’s entry into Kenya, paving the way for national and international funders to follow and enable the expansion of Zipline’s groundbreaking model across the continent. Rwanda is expected to be the first country to expand under this new model, marking the beginning of continent-wide scale that could triple Zipline’s network from 5,000 to 15,000 health facilities and reach 100 million people.

U.S. researchers find favourable trends among women with HIV in response to cervical cancer therapy
November 25, 2025 - CATIE NEWS - Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) - Cisgender women with HIV are at heightened risk for cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer
A 20-year U.S. study compared cervical cancer outcomes between women with and without HIV
Women who were adherent to HIV treatment had similar survival rates to women without HIV
Since the recognition of the HIV pandemic in the 1980s, one of the complications faced by women with HIV has been invasive cervical cancer. The cause of this cancer is a common sexually transmitted virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). Regular screening for cervical lesions (the precursor of cervical cancer) is an important part of care for women with HIV. It is also important for women with HIV to discuss HPV vaccination with their care provider (if they have not already been vaccinated).
A team of researchers across seven major cancer research centres in the United States recently cooperated, pooling health-related information in their databases to compare data about cervical cancer treatment and its outcomes in cisgender women with and without HIV. The data used for the present analysis was collected between 1997 and 2017. Most cases of cervical cancer (63%) occurred in women between 2009 and 2017.
Researchers enrolled 62 women with HIV and 172 women without HIV of similar age and cervical cancer disease stage at the time of diagnosis and treatment. Participants were monitored for about four years.
Research Monkeys May Be Euthanized After RFK Jr. Suspends Infectious-Disease Studies 'Ferociously Fast': Report
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has halted primate studies tied to RFK Jr.’s MAHA agenda, leaving hundreds of research monkeys in limbo
November 25 2025 - By Moná Thomas - People - In a sweeping move, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has directed the immediate termination of all primate research, including infectious disease studies using hundreds of macaque monkeys.
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UNAIDS releases its 2025 World AIDS Day report: Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response
GENEVA, 25 November 2025 - UNAIDS - The 2025 funding crisis has thrown the AIDS response into turmoil with massive disruptions to HIV prevention and community led services, particularly for the most vulnerable. However, the new report by UNAIDS shows evidence that resilience, investment and innovation combined with global solidarity still offer a path to end AIDS.
The global response to HIV has suffered its most significant setback in decades, warns a new UNAIDS report released today ahead of World AIDS Day 2025. Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response details the far-reaching consequences of international funding reductions and lack of global solidarity which sent shockwaves through low- and middle-income countries heavily affected by HIV.
Abrupt reductions in international HIV assistance in 2025 have deepened existing funding shortfalls. The OECD estimates that external health assistance is projected to drop by 30–40% in 2025 compared with 2023, causing immediate and even more severe disruption to health services in low- and middle-income countries.

New Study Identifies Key Mechanism Driving HIV-Associated Immune Suppression
November 24, 2025 - Jennifer Gonzales - University of Maryland School of Medicine - Researchers from the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have discovered how a specific type of immune cell may contribute to the persistence of HIV infections. The finding offers new insight into why the virus remains difficult to cure even with effective antiretroviral therapy.
The study was published earlier this month in Science Translational Medicine. It was led by Guangming Li, PhD, and Lishan Su, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology at UMSOM and Director of the Division of Virology, Pathogenesis and Cancer, and Interim Director of the Division of Immunotherapy at IHV.

DOGE is gone, leaving behind 300,000 fired federal workers, 600,000 USAID deaths, and more
Here's everything DOGE did that affected the LGBTQ+ community at home and abroad.
November 24 2025 - ADVOCATE - The so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) formerly spearheaded by Elon Musk has disbanded after just 10 months in operation, leaving millions of lives devastated in its wake.
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Vale: HIV advocate Bill Paterson was ‘a mentor to many’
23 November 2025 - By Jordan Hirst - QNews - Former nurse turned lifelong Australian HIV advocate Bill Paterson is being remembered for his “immeasurable” impact on improving the lives of Aussies living with HIV.
The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation announced Bill’s death in an obituary on social media on Thursday. Bill, who had worked for numerous HIV/AIDS organisations across his career, recently passed away at his home in Trentham, Victoria.
“Bill’s impact on the HIV community in Australia is immeasurable,” the Foundation wrote in an obituary.
Canada announces commitment to the global fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria
November 21, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario, Canada – Global Affairs Canada - The Global Fund plays a key role in meeting the needs of the poorest and most marginalized, while strengthening global and Canadian health security. A longstanding contributor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Canada has supported the organization since its inception in 2002. The programs it supports have saved an estimated 70 million lives and reduced the combined death rate from these diseases by nearly two thirds (63%) in the countries where it works.
Today in Johannesburg, South Africa, Cindy Termorshuizen, Deputy Minister for the G7 Summit and Personal Representative of the Prime Minister (Sherpa) for the G7 and G20 Summits, announced Canada’s pledge to the Global Fund’s eighth replenishment – a total of $1.02 billion over three years (2026-2028).
World leaders pledge $11 billion to fight AIDS, malaria and TB, short of target
JOHANNESBURG/LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - A global health initiative that works to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria raised $11.34 billion at an event in Johannesburg on Friday, below its target for work from 2027-2029.
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Becoming HIV Confident: an evening on awareness and inclusion
November 20, 2025 - KING's COLLEGE LONDON - Panel Speakers at the Becoming HIV eventeThe London Institute for Healthcare Engineering (LIHE) recently hosted Becoming HIV Confident, an event organised in collaboration with Siemens Healthineers. The evening brought together healthcare professionals, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion representatives and industry partners to highlight the importance of HIV awareness and understanding.
HIV Confident is a national initiative that helps organisations build inclusive, stigma-free environments for both patients and employees. It promotes equitable access to healthcare and fair opportunities at work, recognising that people living with HIV still face stigma and discrimination in many settings. It strengthens understanding, encourages positive attitudes, and builds confidence, taking a constructive approach that welcomes learning rather than shaming.
America’s most basic HIV protections are in danger as a decade of progress unravels
24 April 2025 - By Orion Rummler - The 19th - Health experts are alarmed as Republicans degrade the country’s pivotal HIV programs — and break promises made during Trump’s first term.
As The 19th makes plans for 2026, we want to hear from you. Complete our annual survey to let us know your thoughts.
Decades of progress in HIV treatment and preventionin the United Statesis being derailed by the Trump administration, public health experts say — and without reversing course, the damage will be devastating.
Threats to key federal programs are unfolding just as science has significantly advanced how easily patients can treat and manage HIV — leaving experts deeply frustrated. The development of a vaccine, which researchers believed was closer than ever to becoming a reality, is now dead in its tracks. A twice-yearly dose of PrEP to prevent HIV, approved by the Food and Drug Administration this year, is expected to have significant benefits — but experts are concerned about who will be able to afford this drug. Millions of Americans are expected to lose health care coverage due to Trump’s federal spending cuts.
ICA to screen Independent documentary amid unprecedented cuts to global HIV/AIDs response
20 November 2025 - By Bel Trew - The Independent - To mark World AIDS Day, the Institute for Contemporary Arts will screen our film tackling the collapse of USAID funding
Amid unprecedented cuts to HIV/AIDS response globally, and to mark World AIDS Day, the Institute of Contemporary Arts is screening The Independent’s searing documentary about the deadly impact of the collapse of USAID funding.
Death Sentence, which was filmed across Uganda and Zimbabwe, reveals first-hand the fatal consequences of the abrupt collapse of USAID this year and offers a grim insight into a world if funding cuts by other countries including the UK go ahead as well.
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Aging and HIV: Building Momentum For Our Communities
November 20, 2025 - By Moises Agosto - POZ - It makes me proud to share that the theme and the programming were born from four aspects of our value proposition to our community..
In September, NMAC hosted the 29th U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS, themed around “Aging and HIV.” We know that USCHA’s theme and programming each ignite a ripple effect of ideas and initiatives that expand our efforts to end the HIV epidemic.
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More countries report rising levels of drug-resistant gonorrhoea, warns WHO
19 November 2025 - World Health Organization (WHO) - The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted infection, is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, according to new data from its Enhanced Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (EGASP), which monitors the spread of drug-resistant gonorrhoea.
The report highlights the need to strengthen surveillance, improve diagnostic capacity and ensure equitable access to new treatments for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The release of the new data coincides with World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week, reinforcing the importance of global action against drug-resistant infections. EGASP, launched by WHO in 2015, collects laboratory and clinical data from sentinel sites around the world to track AMR and inform treatment guidelines.

Digital Event Invitation - World AIDS Day 2025: Redefining the Journey
November 19, 2025 - European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDC) - Monday, 1 December 2025 15:30 CET
On World AIDS Day, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) invites you to the online event 'World AIDS Day 2025: Redefining the Journey'.
During the event, the latest data on HIV/AIDS from ECDC and the WHO Regional Office for Europe will be discussed.

Global and European experts convene in Warsaw for Europe’s leading public health conference on infectious diseases
Warsaw, 19 November 2025 - European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDC) - The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is pleased to announce the opening of the 2025 European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology (ESCAIDE), Europe’s leading annual conference for applied research and best practice in infectious disease prevention and control.
Held from 19 to 21 November in Warsaw, Poland, as well as online, the conference brings together over 3 000 participants to exchange knowledge and strengthen collaboration in the fight against infectious disease. Online participation is open and free for anyone interested in applied infectious disease epidemiology and public health.
‘As we convene this year, our conference mission is clear: to bridge science with real-world public health action and to strengthen public trust in science,’ said Dr. Piotr Kramarz, ECDC Chief Scientist and Chair of the ESCAIDE Scientific Committee.

Time to act and not react: how can the European Union turn the tide of antimicrobial resistance?
Stockholm, 18 November 2025 - European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDC) - As Europe marksEuropean Antibiotic Awareness Day, new data published today by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reveal a stark reality: antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to rise across the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA), threatening to reverse years of medical progress.
Despite determined efforts by countries and healthcare professionals, Europe is not on track to meet four of the five AMR targets set by the EU Council for 2030*.
Rising AMR, together with a shortage of novel effective treatments, constitutes an evolving major public health crisis in Europe and globally. In an interconnected world, AMR further complicates the health challenges that stem from non-communicable diseases, demographic shifts and healthcare workforce shortages.
A ‘breakthrough'’ drug to prevent HIV, an ‘unprecedented’ rollout
November 18, 2025 - By Jonathan Lambert - NPR - Five months after a ‘breakthrough'’ HIV prevention drug got approval in the United States and became available in many wealthy countries, it’s getting rolled out in two African countries hit especially hard by the disease.
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Digital Press Briefing on breakthrough HIV drug Lenacapavir’s Delivery and the America First Global Health Strategy
November 18, 2025 - U.S. Department of State - Good morning and welcome, everyone, to today’s press briefing from the U.S. Department of State’s Africa Media Hub. Today, we are discussing the America First Global Health Strategy and the U.S. Government’s commitment to meaningfully reduce the number of new HIV infections. This initiative is led by the U.S. Department of State in close coordination with the American company Gilead Sciences and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, showing what is possible when the United States Government, industry, and global institutions unite around a shared purpose.
Trump HIV prevention plan shuts out South Africa — the nation most affected
November 18, 2025 - By Adam Taylor - The Washington Post - Administration officials say the country has “significant means” to fund a promising new drug on its own and doesn’t need U.S. help. Critics call the move self-defeating.
Amid steep cuts to U.S. foreign assistance, the Trump administration is touting a new plan to provide a powerful HIV prevention drug to countries most affected by the disease in an ambitious push to end the spread of the virus that causes AIDS.
But the program, which saw the first donated doses of lenacapavir delivered to Eswatini and Zambia last week, is already facing criticism from patient advocacy groups because the Trump administration refuses to provide the lifesaving antiretroviral medication free to South Africa, the country with the world’s largest HIV-positive population. Critics say the move appears politically motivated.
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Scripps Research scientists receive $1.1 million to advance AI modeling for HIV vaccine development
LA JOLLA, CA - November 18, 2025 - Scripps Research - New AI system helps scientists rapidly pinpoint the most promising paths to an HIV vaccine.
“Over the last 10 years, we’ve been able to accelerate data generation, but we don’t have a good way of analyzing that data to understand if these vaccines are working well,” says Bryan Briney, associate professor at Scripps Research and co-principal investigator on the project. “This new AI technology will supercharge our ability to evaluate up to millions of potential vaccine designs in the time it used to take to study a few dozen—bringing us closer to finding more promising vaccine approaches.”
Developing an effective HIV vaccine remains extraordinarily difficult. To work, it must train the immune system to produce antibodies—protective proteins capable of neutralizing more than 90% of HIV strains in more than 90% of people. In other words, it’s an exceptionally high bar that no vaccine has yet achieved. The challenge is driven by HIV’s remarkable ability to mutate, constantly changing its form and making it difficult for the immune system to recognize and destroy the virus.

Leaders’ failure to fully replenish Global Fund threatens decades of progress against HIV, TB, and malaria
November 17, 2025 - Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) - The funding target must be met this week to prevent catastrophic cuts and soaring costs for patients who can’t afford to pay high prices for medicines.
Ahead of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria’s Eighth Replenishment Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, this week, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling for world leaders to meet the Global Fund’s $18 billion target.
Failure to meet this goal would risk catastrophic cuts to essential services, threaten the resurgence of HIV, TB, and malaria—the world’s top three deadliest infectious diseases—and put the financial burden of health care onto the world’s most vulnerable patients.
The high-level fundraising meeting—on funding the program for 2027-2029—will take place on November 21, on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit. In many countries, the Global Fund is the main financier and procurer of HIV, TB, and malaria products, directly influencing resources, strategies, and people’s access to care. MSF projects often depend on these supplies.
Canada loses its measles elimination status, and the US is close behind
November 16, 2025 - by Joseph Choi - The Hill - Canada has lost its measles elimination status nearly three decades after it achieved the distinction, under circumstances that closely resemble what’s happened in the U.S. this year.
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HIV Specialists Are in Short Supply
November 16, 2025 - By Liz Highleyman - POZ - Over 1,500 more experienced providers will be needed to meet HIV care goals, especially in the South.
The United States will need more than 1,500 additional experienced HIV health care providers to meet goals for HIV testing and treatment, according to an analysis presented at IDWeek 2025. The study identified substantial geographic and racial/ethnic disparities, with especially pressing shortages in the South.
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Drug Interactions in the Treatment and Prevention of HIV & Bacterial STIs
November 15, 2025 - Bristish Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) - BC-Cfe IN-PERSON EVENT
LEARNING SERIES)
November 19, 2025 from 12:00 – 1:00 PM (PST).
This webinar will be presented by:
Erin Ready BSc(Pharm), ACPR, MPH, AAHIVP
Register online: Free registration
JOLLIMORE COLUMN: Canada’s HIV report card
November 14, 2025 - By Jody Jollimore - VICTORIA NEWS - It’s been nearly a decade since Canada signed on to a bold strategy at the World Health Assembly to eliminate HIV/AIDS as a public health concern by 2030. Although an international commitment, this wasn’t just about helping others abroad; it was a coordinated strategy by each country to follow a specific, science-driven path to improve the health of their own people. For our government, it was about delivering for Canadians.
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How T Cells Are Defining the Future of HIV Therapies and Beyond
From CAR T cell-targeting of the HIV reservoir to therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases, T cells hold the potential to improve medicine.
November 14, 2025 — By Andrea Gramatica, PhD - amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research - The human immune system deploys a remarkable array of defenses designed to protect us against invaders that seek to do us harm. In the vanguard of this army: the T cell.
At any given moment, your body hosts about a trillion T cells—more than 100 times the number of people on Earth. Unlike antibodies, which mostly float in blood or fluids, only about 2% of T cells circulate in the blood. The rest are patrolling lymph nodes, spleen, gut, skin, and other tissues, quietly screening our body for infected or cancerous cells. When they find one, they act with surgical precision, eliminating it and summoning other immune cells to the site.
Remarkably, once a T cell has fought off an infection, a fraction of it becomes a memory T cell, capable of surviving for decades. That’s why some childhood vaccines can protect you for life!
Participants sought for new study of how viruses spread
November 13, 2025 - UW Medicine - From defunding federal programs to slashing global aid, few have done as much damage to public health as Trump has
Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine's Department of Medicine are enrolling participants across King, Snohomish and Pierce counties for a paid study on how respiratory viruses spread in households and communities. The scientists will track more than 20 distinct viruses, most notably influenza (the flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19 virus.
Enrollees will be given home test kits for flu and COVID-19 for a rapid result without waiting for a lab diagnosis.
This study is part of the newly established Community and Household Acute Respiratory Illness Monitoring (CHARM) Network with two other sites. One is at the University of California San Diego and the other is at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is funding the study.

COP30 report reveals how climate change is spreading infectious diseases to new regions
November 13, 2025 - The Conversation - Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and extreme weather events create ideal conditions for pathogens and their vectors – such as mosquitoes, midges and ticks – to thrive.
This is confirmed by a recent report for the global climate change conference, COP30. The report was produced by a team of global south scientists from the Climate Amplified Diseases and Epidemics consortium, which studies and figures out ways of responding to infectious diseases that climate change is making worse. It sets out how deadly diseases like West Nile virus, dengue and chikungunya are now spreading to new regions in Africa and Europe because of the changing climate.
Some of the authors of the report, Tulio de Oliveira, Cheryl Baxter and PhD candidate Maambele Khosa, explain what needs to be done to keep people at risk of infection safe and prevent infectious disease from multiplying.
In under a year, Trump administration has threatened decades of progress in global fight against HIV/AIDS
November 13, 2025 - by Adam Rhodes - PRISM - From defunding federal programs to slashing global aid, few have done as much damage to public health as Trump has
Nearly a year after the Trump administration’s drastic cuts to foreign aid threw the global fight against HIV/AIDS into chaos, health care experts and leaders say decades of progress remain at risk, especially as a breakthrough drug comes to market.
On the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump issued an executive order pausing foreign aid, resulting in a devastating blow to the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, better known as PEPFAR. Launched in 2003 and overseen by the State Department’s Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy, the program has helped prevent millions of HIV infections and supported several countries in managing the HIV epidemic. Since the Trump administration’s executive order, 71% of the U.S.’s PEPFAR partners reported the cancellation of at least one category of their work, and more than 60% detailed staff reductions.
Gilead’s Investigational Single-Tablet Regimen of Bictegravir and Lenacapavir for HIV-1 Treatment Meets Primary Endpoint in Phase 3 ARTISTRY-1 Trial
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- November 13, 2025 - Gilead - – The Novel HIV Therapy has the Potential to Expand Options for Virologically Suppressed Adults Treated with Complex ART Regimens –
–Phase 3 Results from ARTISTRY-1 and 2 Trials will Form the Basis of Regulatory Submissions –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) today announced positive topline results from the Phase 3 ARTISTRY-1 trial. The open-label trial evaluated the treatment responses of adults with HIV who are virologically suppressed switching from a multi-tablet regimen to an investigational single-tablet regimen of bictegravir 75 mg/lenacapavir 50 mg (BIC/LEN). BIC/LEN efficacy was found to be statistically non-inferior to multi-tablet regimens. Gilead plans to file the Phase 3 data from the ARTISTRY trials with regulatory authorities and submit the detailed findings for presentation at a future scientific congress.
In ARTISTRY-1, the once-daily single-tablet regimen of BIC/LEN met the primary success criterion for non-inferiority to baseline multi-tablet antiretroviral therapy regimens. The primary efficacy endpoint was the percentage of participants with HIV-1 RNA levels =50 copies/mL at Week 48, defined by the FDA snapshot algorithm. In the trial, BIC/LEN was generally well tolerated, with no significant or new safety concerns identified.
AIDS Monument ready to tell its ‘stories’
NOVEMBER 12, 2025 - By Rance Collins - Beverly Press - After more than a decade of planning, STORIES: The AIDS Monument is ready to be unveiled in West Hollywood Park with an event on for Sunday, Nov. 16. The memorial holds a special place in the hearts of its residents, many of whom remember the darkest days of the AIDS epidemic, when a disproportionate number of gay men were affected by the crisis.
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When We See You: Remembering Alvan Quamina, a Giant in the HIV Community
Nov 12, 2025 - By Ace Robinson - TheBody - On the 18th of October in Thailand, the world lost one of its most dedicated public servants in Alvan Quamina, J.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. Quamina was—and remains—one of the grand giants in the field of HIV care and health equity; he emulated what it really meant to be a servant-leader. He represented the best of us: someone who dedicated his life to uplifting all those around him.
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Warnings rise for U.S. as severe flu strain causes outbreaks in Canada, U.K.
Nov 12, 2025 - By Erika Edwards - NBC NEWS - A flu strain that emerged over the summer is causing "unprecedented" outbreaks in Japan, as well as in Canada and the U.K. The CDC hasn't provided insights on flu in the U.S. in nearly two months.
As flu season gets underway, global health experts are increasingly worried about a new strain of the virus that popped up in June — four months after the makeup of this year’s flu shots had been decided.
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World Pneumonia Day - 12 November 2025
Geneva, Switzerland - 11 November 2025 - World Health Organization (WHO) - Pneumonia remains one of the world’s leading infectious killers. It still claims more lives of children under five than any other infectious disease, and also poses a serious threat to older people and those with chronic health conditions, particularly in low-and middle-income countries.

29th Annual Jonathan Lax Memorial Lecture at Wistar Honors Richard Jeffreys, Changemaker Activist Who Expanded Access to New Drugs, Clinical Trials, and HIV Research Funding
PHILADELPHIA - (Nov. 11, 2025) - The Wistar Institute - On Monday, Nov. 17th at 6:30 pm EST, Richard Jefferys, Basic Science, Vaccines and Cure Project director at the Treatment Action Group (TAG), delivers the 29th annual Jonathan Lax Memorial Lecture at The Wistar Institute in recognition of his outstanding contributions to HIV research, education and advocacy. Jefferys’ talk, “Community Advocacy and HIV Cure-Directed Research,” is open to the public virtually through an online live stream.
This year, Wistar Legacy Awards will be given to Philadelphians Jay Kostman, M.D., and Robb Reichard, recognizing their community advocacy and leadership. Dr. Kostman, Philadelphia FIGHT chief medical officer, will be honored for 25+ years contributing to Wistar’s HIV research program, and Robb Reichard, for his enduring leadership of the AIDS Fund, a nonprofit supporting the most vulnerable people living with AIDS in the Philadelphia community through grants, financial assistance, and education and awareness initiatives.

High rates of syphilis among street-involved people in smalltown Ontario
November 11, 2025 - CATIE NEWS - Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) - Ontario researchers studied syphilis among street-involved people in small towns
They found higher rates among women and people who use drugs
Syphilis rates were highest among those who had an intersection of risk factors
Diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been increasing over the past 20 years, and now there is an epidemic of syphilis across Canada. The initial symptoms of syphilis—a sore or chancre on or inside the genitals, mouth or other parts of the body—may be painless or go unnoticed. The germs that cause syphilis (called treponemes) quickly spread from the site of first contact. These germs can attack nerves, eventually causing problems in the ears (hearing loss) and eyes (loss of vision). What’s more, if left untreated, over time syphilis can cause injury to vital organs, including the brain, bones, heart and circulatory system, liver and kidneys. Syphilis during pregnancy can harm the fetus and baby (congenital syphilis). Symptoms of syphilis can mimic many other diseases; however, syphilis can be easily diagnosed with a simple blood test. Most people can recover with a single course of antibiotic therapy.
Antibody from Tanzanian woman suppresses almost all tested HIV variants including resistant viruses in pre-clinical study
November 10, 2025 - Zekerie Redzheb - aidsmap - An antibody from a Tanzanian woman discovered during screening for anti-HIV antibodies shows a strong therapeutic potential in a preclinical study. Named 04_A06, it neutralised (blocked) 97.3% of over 300 HIV strains tested, and blocked 77% of viruses resistant to other antibodies. In humanised mice – designed to have an immune system like ours – the antibody completely suppressed viral load after stopping treatment for more than a month.
Apart from the potential therapeutic promise, the broadly neutralising antibody could also be valuable for prevention as the same researchers modelled it to confer 93% protection when used as PrEP. Findings were published by Dr Lutz Gieselmann and colleagues in the journal Nature Immunology.
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Canada loses its measles elimination status — as it happened
November 10, 2025 - CBC News - 5,000-case outbreak forces loss of status after 27 years
The Pan American Health Organization has notified the Public Health Agency of Canada that Canada no longer holds measles elimination status, says Health Canada. The health agency says that while 'transmission has slowed recently, the outbreak has persisted for over 12 months.'
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USCHA 2025
November 10, 2025 - By Joe Mejía - POZ - This year’s theme honored people growing old with HIV by examining their challenges and acknowledging their lived experiences.
Held from September 4 through 7 in Washington, DC, this year’s United States Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA) marked the 29th such annual gathering organized by NMAC (formerly the National Minority AIDS Council), whose executive director of 36 years, Paul Kawata, this year passed the torch to incoming CEO Harold Phillips, a former director of the Office of National AIDS Policy who is living with HIV.
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Canada could face ‘worst kind’ of flu season as experts warn evolving strain may be mismatch for vaccine
Nov 09, 2025 - By Lauren Pelley - CBC News - Alarm bells abroad, spread of a new form of H3N2 provide warnings as influenza cases start ticking up
With flu cases now rising in Canada, medical experts are bracing for a difficult influenza season linked to the global spread of an evolving H3N2 strain that could be a mismatch for this year’s vaccine.
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Hyacinth, New Jersey’s First HIV Service Provider, Celebrates 40 Years
November 8, 2025- By Trent Straube - POZ - A gala fundraiser for Hyacinth AIDS Foundation honored HIV advocates and celebs. It’s not too late to show support and donate funds for the New Jersey organization!
Hyacinth AIDS Foundation first opened its doors in New Jersey in 1985, during the darkest and earliest days of the HIV epidemic. Those doors remain open today, and last week the HIV service provider marked that milestone with a 40th anniversary blowout celebration and silent auction in Short Hills, New Jersey.
The Hyacinth gala also issued a call to action and resilience.
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G20 Statement sets out actions to protect public health by fighting inequalities. Experts say the inequality-pandemic cycle can be broken
POLOKWANE, SOUTH AFRICA, 7 November 2025 - UNAIDS - The Ministerial Statement issued from the G20 Ministerial in Polokwane has set out concrete actions to protect public health by fighting inequalities. The statement details key global and national steps to address the inequality-drivers of pandemics including AIDS and to help end TB, to advance access to medicines and to strengthen global health security.
South Africa’s leadership of the G20 has been praised by experts including Nobel Prize Winning Economist Joseph E. Stiglitz, world-leading epidemiologist Sir Michael Marmot, and Executive Chairperson of the One Economy Foundation and former First Lady of Namibia Monica Geingos, the three Co-Chairs of the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS, and Pandemics established by UNAIDS.
The statement reflects important alignment with the Global Council’s landmark new report, Breaking the inequality-pandemic cycle: building true health security in a global age, which revealed a vicious cycle: how inequality is making pandemics more likely, more deadly and more costly; and how pandemics are increasing inequalities. The Global Council held the international launch of the report on Monday this week in Johannesburg and then presented the report to President Cyril Ramaphosa in Cape Town on Tuesday, before heading to Polokwane to address health ministers on Thursday and Friday.
City of West Hollywood Celebrates the Grand Opening of ‘STORIES: The AIDS Monument’
November 07, 2025 - City of West Hollywood - The City of West Hollywood and the Foundation for The AIDS Monument will unveil STORIES: The AIDS Monument in a free ceremony beginning at 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 16, 2025 at the outdoor plaza of the Pacific Design Center, located at 750 N. San Vicente Boulevard, directly across the street from the 7,000-square-foot outdoor installation located in West Hollywood Park. The program will include musical performances by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles and Jake Wesley Rogers as well as remarks from distinguished leaders in HIV/AIDS advocacy. RSVP is encouraged.
The ceremony will honor the lives lost to AIDS as well as the survivors living with HIV, protestors, caregivers, activists, researchers, medical professionals, and community leaders who took action during one of the most devastating public health crises in history. STORIES: The AIDS Monument remembers those we lost and those who survived, the protests and the vigils; celebrates those who stepped up when others stepped away; and educates current and future generations about the lessons learned.
The Ghana AIDS Commission: A Sleeping Giant?
07 NOV 2024 - By Denis Andaban - Modern Ghana - According to the World Health Organization (WHO), HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, making it harder for the body to fight off infections and diseases. AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is the most advanced stage of HIV infection, where the immune system is severely weakened, and the person becomes vulnerable to opportunistic infections.
The Ghana AIDS Commission was established in 2002 by an Act of Parliament, ACT 613, and later re-established under Act 938 in 2016. It was a deliberate responsive mechanism against the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS. It is mandated to coordinate and oversee the national response to HIV/AIDS, with the goal of reducing the spread of the disease and mitigating its impact on the population.
Low-dose THC reduces side effects of HIV treatment
SAN ANTONIO (Nov. 6, 2025) - Texas Biomedical Research Institute - Texas Biomed researchers find promising benefits for gut health, serotonin levels and more. The study, reported in Science Advances, could have broad implications for other diseases linked to gut inflammation.
Long-term, low doses of THC mitigate many harmful side effects and inflammation caused by HIV and antiretroviral therapy (ART), according to new research from Texas Biomedical Research Institute.
THC is short for tetrahydrocannabinol, the main active compound in cannabis. The preclinical study used very low doses of THC, meaning the compounds don’t trigger overt nervous system effects such as euphoria, or a “high.”
The benefits included increased production of the chemical serotonin, while inflammation, cholesterol and harmful secondary bile acids were all reduced. Notably, levels of ART drugs, which can be toxic to the liver over time, were lower in blood plasma without affecting viral suppression. The detailed findings, made in animal models representing people with HIV on ART, were recently published in Science Advances.

ECDC marks its 20-year anniversary with key milestones and future perspectives in a changing landscape
4 Nov 2025 - European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDC) - Today, on 4 November 2025, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) marked its 20-year anniversary, bringing together representatives from the EU Institutions, Member States, international partners, and key stakeholders.
The event highlighted the Agency’s achievements over the past two decades and featured discussions on the future of public health in Europe and ECDC’s role in promoting health security.
How the CDC Lost Its Way—and Who’s Doing Its Job Instead
November 4, 2025 - Cato Institute - In a recent New York Post opinion column, I criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) mission creep, as it expanded from what Congress initially established as the Communicable Disease Center in 1946 to the large organization it is today—one that now involves itself in personal health and lifestyle issues, from smoking and diet and exercise to gun safety. I wrote, “Congress should restore the CDC to its original role as the Communicable Disease Center, focusing on support and coordination, rather than bureaucratic overreach and political signaling.”
Initially, one of the CDC’s main roles was to share data with state and local public health agencies so they could plan for and respond to infectious disease outbreaks by taking steps to contain them. Sadly, the agency has fallen short in that area lately.

People living with HIV at higher risk of multi-drug TB
4 November 2025 - University of Cape Town - A major study led by researchers at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) School of Public Health found that people living with HIV (PLHIV) are at a higher risk of developing multidrug or rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) than HIV-negative individuals – with those living with advanced HIV up to three times more likely to develop the resistant strain.
Resistance against rifampicin, one of the most effective first-line drugs for TB treatment, poses a serious challenge, rendering the standard short-course regimens ineffective and leading to longer, more complex and toxic treatments with poorer outcomes and increased mortality.

One Health. One Planet. Our Responsibility
Time for action: A Joint Statement of the EU Cross-agency One Health Task Force and the European and Central Asia Quadripartite on One Health
3 November 2025 - European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDC) - As wildfires, heat waves, floods, and other interconnected crises intensify in 2025, recognising the link between human, animal, and environmental health – and acting across sectors – is absolutely essential.
Through dedicated cooperation and proactive measures, the EU Cross-agency One Health Task Force and the European and Central Asia Quadripartite commit to implementing the One Health approach. We invite all partners to join us in this essential endeavour for the health of people, animals, and the planet.

Mark is Turning 65 – Let’s Celebrate Long-Term Survivors!
November 3, 2025 - By Mark S. King - My Fabulous Disease - My friends, I have a special announcement. I will devote my 65th birthday to a celebration of all HIV/AIDS survivors, and the stars will definitely be out. One of them could be you!
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, December 17th at 8pm ET. The virtual event will stream on most social media platforms. Register free right here at this link.
When I celebrated his 60th birthday five years ago with a live virtual event, guests like Greg Louganis made appearances via special video messages. That included Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, who commemorated survivors and even sang Happy Birthday! The event also included greetings from survivors and allies just like you. For the 65th birthday event, you can expect even more surprises.

Artificial HIV patients do their part for science
November 3, 2025 - By Paul Govern - VUMC News - VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER - To speed HIV research, VUMC scientists are drafting droves of people who do not exist to serve as research subjects.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers are using generative artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to create hundreds of thousands of simulated HIV patients to broadly aid and stimulate longitudinal observational studies of this chronic condition.
The project is supported by a five-year, $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Synthetic data created by the VUMC team will be made public, available to researchers everywhere.
“We think simulated data can greatly benefit HIV research, particularly in international settings where data sharing is becoming more complicated,” said one of two principal investigators for the grant, HIV researcher Bryan Shepherd, PhD, professor of Biostatistics and Biomedical Informatics. “The rate of discovery is being impeded by sensitivities around HIV and legitimate privacy concerns.”
The project’s other principal investigator is Bradley Malin, PhD, Accenture Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Computer Science, who is an expert on computational aspects of patient privacy.

Less weight gain with Dovato than Biktarvy
3 November 2025 - By Keith Alcorn - POZ - Switching to a two-drug regimen of dolutegravir / lamivudine (Dovato) resulted in significantly less weight gain after 96 weeks compared to a switch to tenofovir alafenamide / emtricitabine / bictegravir (Biktarvy), the final results of a large, randomised trial conducted in Spain have shown.
Dr Esteban Martinez of the Hospital Clinic Barcelona presented 96-week results of the PASO-DOBLE study last week at the 20th European AIDS Conference (EACS 2025) in Paris.
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Report: inequality is making pandemics more likely, more deadly and more costly
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, 3 November 2025 - UNAIDS - ‘Inequality-pandemic cycle’ must be broken to achieve health security
A report by world-leading economists, public health experts, and political leaders released today ahead of G20 meetings, Breaking the inequality-pandemic cycle: building true health security in a global age, shows that inequality is making the world more vulnerable to pandemics.
In landmark findings based on two years of research and convenings around the world, the new report shows that high levels of inequality are linked to outbreaks becoming pandemics and that inequality is undermining national and global responses, making pandemics more disruptive, deadly, and longer in duration. The report also shows that pandemics increase inequality, fuelling a cycle that research shows is visible not just for COVID-19, but also for AIDS, Ebola, Influenza, Mpox and beyond.
Raising concern about the future of HIV treatment.
November 1, 2025 - GLOBAL NEWS -
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Clashing GOP proposals throw HIV services into deep uncertainty
11/02/25 - by Surina Venkat - THE HILL - Some lawmakers and advocates are increasingly uncertain whether critical HIV and AIDS services will survive the federal government’s funding fight.
The GOP’s House-passed budget bill seeks to cut over $1.5 billion in services for people living with and vulnerable to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the U.S. — far greater than the cuts proposed by President Trump and the Senate.
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