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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - September 2025
Elton John AIDS Foundation expands The Rocket Fund to $200 million
NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Elton John AIDS Foundation - The bold goal addresses critical gaps as global AIDS funding faces unprecedented cuts
The Elton John AIDS Foundation today announced an ambitious expansion of The Rocket Fund, raising its campaign goal to $200 million to accelerate transformative HIV solutions for marginalized communities. The expanded funding will close critical gaps left by global cuts and tackle the stigma that continues to block access to lifesaving care.
“I established the Foundation when the end of AIDS seemed impossible — many would not even say the word. Resources were scarce, but many brave, passionate people made the world take notice,” said Elton John, Founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. “Today, we stand together on the brink of ending this epidemic, and we won’t waste that opportunity. We are doubling down and extending the goal of our Rocket Fund to $200 million to make sure we continue to fuel the momentum that will bring us to the end of AIDS for good.”
U.S. Embassy Uganda Announces Introduction of U.S. Embassy Uganda Announces Introduction of Lenacapavir, a Groundbreaking HIV Prevention Medicine, Demonstrating American Excellence in Science and American Leadership in HIV Prevention
Kampala, September 30, 2025 - U.S. Embassy in Uganda - The U.S. Department of State announced a life-saving development to bring U.S.-based Gilead Sciences’ breakthrough drug lenacapavir to market in Uganda, one of just ten high-burden HIV countries where the drug will be distributed through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The U.S. initiative — which will promote global scale in production and distribution of the medication and catalyze further global investment has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives.
The United States, in collaboration with the Ugandan Ministry of Health, will introduce lenacapavir in 2026. Taken only twice a year, lenacapavir offers a highly effective and convenient HIV prevention option for individuals at high risk of HIV acquisition. Clinical trials show more than 99% of people on lenacapavir remained HIV negative.
Study Shows HPV Vaccine Protects Vaccinated—and Unvaccinated—Women
BRONX, N.Y., Sept. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - A large, long-term study led by an Albert Einstein College of Medicine researcher has found that the introduction of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in community settings is highly effective in protecting young women from infections caused by the cervical-cancer-causing virus—including women who didn’t even receive the vaccine. The study was published today in JAMA Pediatrics.
“There are two encouraging takeaways from our study,” said lead author Jessica Kahn, M.D., M.P.H., professor of pediatrics and the Dr. Ernest Baden Chair in Head and Neck Pathology at Einstein. “First, HPV vaccines work remarkably well in a real-world setting, even among women at high risk for HPV and who may not have received all vaccine doses. Second, we saw clear evidence of herd immunity, meaning when enough people are vaccinated, the vaccine indirectly protects unvaccinated people by reducing overall virus transmission. These results reinforce the potential of the HPV vaccine to prevent infection and, ultimately, eliminate cervical cancer globally.”
Republicans seek deep cuts to HIV prevention and treatment funding
Sept. 29, 2025 - By Benjamin Ryan - NBC News - Cuts proposed by the Trump administration and House Republicans could drive up new HIV cases by more than 200,000 by 2030, one expert projects.
In his 2019 State of the Union address, President Donald Trump pledged to boost HIV spending, with the lofty goal of bringing the nation’s epidemic to heel by 2030. Last year, this federal initiative, Ending the HIV Epidemic, demonstrated progress.
This year, however, Republicans are seeking deep cuts to HIV prevention and treatment funding. The Trump administration proposed in its 2026 budget request to eliminate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HIV-prevention division, and House Republicans are seeking nearly $2 billion in HIV-related cuts in their federal health spending bill.
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Researchers at Case Western Reserve University uncover HIV mystery that could unlock the path to a cure
September 29, 2025 - BY PATTY ZAMORA - CWRU Newsroom | Case Western Reserve University - For over three decades, HIV has played an elaborate game of hide-and-seek with researchers, making treating—and possibly even curing—the disease a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to achieve.
But scientists at Case Western Reserve University have made a breakthrough discovery that could fundamentally change strategies for treating HIV.
The team identified for the first time how HIV enters a dormant state in infected cells that allows the virus to “hide” from the immune system and current treatments.
The researchers believe the finding, just published in Nature Microbiology, challenges decades of scientific assumptions and opens a new approach to possibly eliminating the deadly virus.
Low-level but detectable HIV raises the risk of treatment failure, but not long-term harm
29 September, 2025 - by Zekerie Redzheb - aidsmap - Persistent low-level detectable HIV appeared to significantly increase the risk of treatment failure but had no long-term impact on the occurrence of serious health problems in a recent study. Having integrase inhibitors as part of the therapy seemed to be protective against treatment failure in those with low-level detectable virus, Professor Enrique Bernal and colleagues report in the journal AIDS.
Defined in this study as a viral load between 50 and 200 copies persisting over time, low-level detectable HIV has been thought to raise the risk of AIDS-related conditions (by weakening the immune system) and non-AIDS related conditions such as chronic heart disease, kidney disease and some cancers (by keeping the immune system in a state of chronic inflammation). It may also allow the virus to accumulate drug resistance simply by replicating more, which increases its chances of selecting resistant forms potentially leading to more treatment failure. This study confirms the link to treatment failure, but it does not link low-level detectable virus to an increased risk of AIDS-related or non-AIDS related conditions. This is in contrast to a recent study which found the risk to be increased.
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UNAIDS stands firm at the United Nations 80th General Assembly
GENEVA/NEW YORK, 27 September 2025 - UNAIDS - UNAIDS has wrapped up UNGA80 week with a productive mix of high-level events, announcements and decisions. The week kicked off with a face-to-face meeting of the esteemed members of the Global Council on Inequalities AIDS and Pandemics.
The group of experts, co-chaired by Nobel prize winning economist Joe Stiglitz, former First Lady of Namibia Monica Geingos, and Director of the Institute of Health Equity Sir Michael Marmot, met to review how inequality gaps within and between countries are impacting global health security.
Groundbreaking announcements were made on new deals to make generic versions of the long-acting injectable HIV prevention medicine, lenacapavir, available in 120 low- and middle-income countries at the price of just US$ 40 per person per year.
HIV infection reprogrammes CD4+ T cells for quiescence and entry into proviral latency
26 September 2025 - Nature - Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persists in infected individuals despite effective antiretroviral therapy due to the rapid establishment of latent reservoirs, mainly composed of quiescent memory CD4+ T cells. The mechanisms governing latent reservoir formation remain poorly understood. Here, using single-cell RNA-seq and functional studies in human primary CD4+ T cell models, we show that HIV infection with reporter constructs and laboratory and patient-derived strains triggers transcriptomic remodelling, activating the p53 pathway and a quiescence programme mediated by Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2), a key quiescence regulator. Loss- and gain-of-function studies, including unbiased shRNA screens and confirmatory studies in CD4+ T cells from HIV+ donors, demonstrate that HIV infection drives KLF2 and p53 signalling, which downregulate MYC and proliferation pathways, resulting in proviral transcriptional silencing. This enhances latent reservoir formation in T cells, ensuring viral persistence. These findings present a mechanism for forming the latent HIV reservoir and broaden the repertoire of strategies through which viruses control host cells to their advantage.
Editorial: We have made remarkable progress in fighting HIV/AIDS
September 26, 2025 - The Times Colonist - HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, could be eliminated in Canada as early as 2030, if enough people at risk get tested and, if necessary, treated.
Just over 40 years have passed since the first HIV/AIDS case was diagnosed in Canada, and remarkable progress has been made in treating the disease.
When it first emerged in the late 1970s, it was thought HIV must be an autoimmune disorder.
Frequently it was associated with a rare form of cancer, Kaposi sarcoma.
It wasn’t until 1983 that researchers discovered the virus responsible.
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Statement from AIDS United in Response to Trump Administration’s Public Health Priorities
September 26, 2025 - AIDS United - Over the past 40 years, the United States has led the charge in achieving groundbreaking medical and scientific advancements that have resulted in the creation of lifesaving HIV treatments and HIV prevention tools like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). These advances have turned a disease that was once a death sentence into a manageable chronic illness. Additionally, through these medical interventions, federal investments in the HIV response, and decades of community efforts, we have achieved reductions in new HIV transmissions and AIDS-related deaths so large that we can now see the end of the HIV epidemic in our lifetimes. We are in danger of losing these advances.
Break the cycle: Restarting HIV treatment is possible
Sep 26, 2025 - USA Today - Many people with HIV have stopped treatment at some point. Restarting is important.
Everyone’s journey living with HIV is different
Since the HIV epidemic began, the diagnosis of HIV has evolved from a death sentence to a chronic, but manageable condition by starting and staying on treatment. HIV treatment can help people live longer and healthier lives, and can help lower HIV viral load to an undetectable level, which means that there is so little virus in the blood that a lab test can't measure it. However, it is not uncommon for people with HIV (PWH) to have stopped treatment at one point or another. In fact, a recent survey found one in four PWH reported pausing or stopping HIV treatment at some point. These gaps in care and HIV treatment can significantly impact PWH.
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Changing health landscape poses a questionable future for HIV organizations
September 25, 2025 - By Denio Lourenco - Xtra Magazine -With the closure of the AIDS Committee of Toronto, public health experts are wondering if this is the beginning of the end for HIV service organizations in Canada
After 42 years of operation, Canada’s oldest HIV service organization has announced that it will shutter its doors in the next six months.
The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) was founded in 1983 and helped countless patients during the height of the AIDS epidemic, but now its executive director, Ryan Lisk, says the organization has made the “bittersweet” decision to wind down operations by March 31, 2026.
“ACT began with the hope that at some point in the future it wouldn’t be needed anymore, which is why it’s bittersweet,” Lisk explains. “For more than four decades, we have been honoured to stand alongside thousands of people living with and affected by HIV, providing support, education, advocacy and care.”
Braking AIDS Ride 2025 Raises $416K for HIV Services at Housing Works
September 25, 2025 - By Laura Schmidt - POZ - The two-day ride from Philly to NYC raised awareness and vital funds for Housing Works’ lifesaving HIV services.
The 2025 Braking AIDS Ride, a two-day, 250-mile bike trek from Philadelphia to New York City, raised more than $416,000 in support of Housing Works’ mission to fight the dual epidemics of HIV and homelessness.
A record-breaking number of new riders, donors and volunteers raised awareness and funds for lifesaving HIV and AIDS services this year. The ride took place September 13 through 14, with both in-person and virtual participation options.
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ACT Closure: What This Means for HIV Services in Ontario
September 25, 2025 - Ontario AIDS Network (OAN) - The Ontario AIDS Network (OAN) is saddened to learn about the upcoming closure of one of our members, the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT). ACT is a historic agency in the HIV sector as the country’s first AIDS Service Organization (ASO) and a pillar of support for people living with HIV in Toronto. This is a huge loss for the community, and we send our appreciation and thanks to all the staff, volunteers, and leaders who dedicated themselves to this work.
What Does This Mean for the HIV Sector?
While we process the significance of this moment, it is important that this closure not be misinterpreted as
a sign that HIV is no longer an issue. While advances in medication have transformed HIV into a
manageable condition for many, HIV remains a chronic, highly stigmatized illness, and new transmissions
continue. Ontario sees over 700 new HIV diagnoses each year, and progress toward “getting to zero” has
slowed, especially for equity-seeking communities.
Landmark agreement to make HIV prevention tool lenacapavir affordable in LMICs
25 September 2025 - Wits University - Unitaid, CHAI, and Wits RHI agreement with Dr. Reddy’s to make revolutionary injectable available at a cost of US$40 a year in 120 LMICs starting in 2027.
Under a new partnership announced on 24 September 2025 between Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Unitaid, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), and Wits RHI, lenacapavir will be available in 120 low- and middle-income countries at a cost of US$40, starting in 2027.
Originally developed by Gilead Sciences, lenacapavir is a twice-yearly injection that has shown exceptional effectiveness in preventing HIV. Since 2010, coordinated global efforts have reduced new HIV infections by 40 percent, but UNAIDS data show 1.3 million new infections occurred in 2024. This long-acting injectable could transform HIV prevention for millions of people who struggle with daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) pills. Moreover, the agreement now brings the price of the injectable on par with oral PrEP, a key condition for uptake in low- and middle-income countries.
Statement from O’Neill Institute Directors Dr. Charles B. Holmes and Jeffrey S. Crowley on Landmark Agreement to Expand Access to Lenacapavir
September 25, 2025 - O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law Law - Georgetown University - Today, at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, global health leaders announced two landmark agreements to make the twice-yearly HIV prevention injection lenacapavir more accessible and affordable.
The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Unitaid, and Wits RHI will partner with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories to expand access to lenacapavir, which was originally developed by Gilead Sciences, and offer it at $40 per year in 120 low- and middle-income countries starting in 2027. At the same time, the Gates Foundation will support Hetero Drugs with upfront funding and volume guarantees to accelerate generic supply. Gilead Sciences royalty-free licenses are available to six generic drug manufacturers, as of 2024, covering 120 low- and middle-income countries.
Teaching Machines to Fight Infectious Diseases
September 24, 2025 - By Marie Rosenthal - Infectious Disease Special Edition (IDSE) - Artificial intelligence may be the hot, new, sexy term, but the subset of AI that has the most potential for improving the discovery of new antimicrobials, outbreak surveillance, diagnostic testing and other facets of managing infectious diseases is machine learning—teaching computers how to learn from and interpret large data sets.
AI is “the ability of computers to perform tasks that normally require humans,” explained Jonathan Stokes, PhD, a microbiologist and an assistant professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario.
CDC Reports Latest National Data on Syphilis in Newborns and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
September 24, 2025 - CDC - New provisional CDC data show U.S. cases of newborn syphilis increased for the 12th consecutive year in 2024, with nearly 4,000 cases reported. Newborn syphilis is a deadly but preventable consequence of the nation's ongoing sexually transmitted infections (STI) epidemic.
Emergency Preparedness for People With HIV
September 24, 2025 - HIV.gov - Summary: If you have HIV, you’ll want to avoid interruptions to your treatment even if a natural disaster or emergency happens. Since the U.S. Atlantic hurricane season runs through November 30, we’re here to remind you to make an emergency plan. Learn how you can stay prepared and what steps to take to stay in care.
Have you ever thought about how you’d keep up your HIV treatment regimen if a natural disaster strikes tomorrow? We’re here to help you stay prepared. Emergencies and natural disasters can be overwhelming and cause disruption to how you usually manage your medication. That’s why it’s critical to plan ahead to protect your health and peace of mind, especially if you live in an area at higher risk for natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, or wildfires.
HIV Drug Resistance Is Declining Over Time
September 24, 2025 - By Liz Highleyman - POZ - Resistance to multiple classes of antiretroviral is now uncommon but is seen more often in archived viral DNA from older people.
Overall rates of HIV drug resistance declined by nearly 17% between 2018 and 2024, according to a large analysis from Quest Diagnostics published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. The researchers assessed the prevalence of mutations that confer resistance to nucleoside/nucleotide reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), protease inhibitors and integrase inhibitors.
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UNAIDS welcomes the announcement of new deals to make new HIV prevention medicines available and affordable for people in need
NEW YORK/GENEVA, 24 September 2025 - UNAIDS - The deals represent a massive price reduction from USD 28 000 to just USD 40 per person per year for medicine that is almost 100% effective in preventing HIV.
UNAIDS strongly welcomes the announcement of two new agreements to advance progress in stopping new HIV infections. UNAIDS estimates show that 1.3 million people were infected with HIV in 2024 far higher than the target of 370,000 by 2025. Lenacapavir, produced by US company Gilead, is a revolutionary new medicine that prevents HIV infection with injections just twice a year.
The current price of lenacapavir for HIV treatment in the US is USD 28 000 per person per year. These new agreements, crafted with generic producers, would bring the price for HIV prevention down to just USD 40 per person per year..
“This is a watershed moment. A price of USD 40 per person per year is a leap forward that will help to unlock the revolutionary potential of long-acting HIV medicines,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS.
Global Fund Celebrates Private Sector Pledges Exceeding US$1 Billion on Sidelines of UN General Assembly
NEW YORK/GENEVA - 24 September 2025 - Global Fund - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) announced private sector pledges totaling more than US$1 billion over this last week, marking a major step forward in its Eighth Replenishment.
These commitments — unveiled at the Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment reception today – underscore the private sector’s pivotal role in driving forward global health innovation, equity and resilience.
In less than a quarter century, the Global Fund partnership – driven by country leadership, affected communities and front-line health workers — has slashed the combined death rate from AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria by 63% and cut the combined incidence rate by 42%.
Infectious disease specialists lament ‘chaos’ of recent ACIP meeting
September 23, 2025 - By Chris Dall - CIDRAP - University of Minnesota - Experts with the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) today expressed alarm and concern about vaccine access now and in the coming years in the wake of last week's meeting of a federal vaccine advisory board.
The comments were made at an IDSA briefing held to address lingering questions following the meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Among the primary questions were what the committee's recommendations on updated COVID-19 vaccines will mean for access to the shots.
The experts also shared their concerns about the limited participation of CDC staff in the meeting, the type of data that were presented, and the false claims about vaccine safety that were made by several ACIP members during the 2-day meeting.
SPARC trains to prevent infectious disease outbreaks
September 23rd, 2025 - By Kim Morris - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Preparing for public health emergencies is the mission of the UNC Special Pathogens Response Center team.
Health security is imperative for public health and international security. Infectious diseases can cross borders, disrupt societies and threaten global stability — as demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Billy Fischer and Dr. David Wohl, researchers with the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, say preparedness is essential as risks of disease outbreaks and high-consequence biological events increase.
Experts urge clinical trials network to study infectious disease therapies in immunocompromised patients
SEATTLE - September 23, 2025 - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center - More than 6% of Americans are immunocompromised, yet most clinical trials exclude them
A coalition of leading infectious disease and cancer experts is urging for the creation of a clinical trials network to evaluate the safety and efficacy of existing and new therapies for immunocompromised people, a growing population that is at increased risk for infectious diseases.
“Immunocompromised patients are often excluded from clinical trials for new therapies to treat and prevent infections, which means we lack critical data to guide their care,” said Josh Hill, MD, a physician-researcher at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, who together with Michael Boeckh, MD, PhD, and Steve Pergam, MD, MPH, is leading the effort to create the clinical trials network. “This network would fill a major gap in our research infrastructure and ensure clinicians can provide the best care possible to immunocompromised patients.”
CDC report says ‘nightmare bacteria’ cases are increasing in U.S.
NEW YORK (AP) - Sep 23, 2025 - PBS - Infection rates from drug-resistant “nightmare bacteria” rose almost 70% between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists.
Bacteria that are difficult to treat due to the so-called NDM gene primarily drove the increase, CDC researchers wrote in an article published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Only two antibiotics work against those infections, and the drugs are expensive and must be administered through an IV, researchers said.
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Gilead Sciences, Inc. to Pay $202 Million to Resolve Kickback Allegations on HIV/AIDs Drugs
(Anchorage, AK) September 22, 2025 - State of Alaska · Department of Law - The State of Alaska has joined with other states and the federal government to reach an agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. (“Gilead”) to settle allegations that the company paid kickbacks to providers to improperly promote its HIV drugs: Stribild®, Genvoya®, Complera®, Odefsey®, Descovy®, and Biktarvy® (the “Gilead HIV Drugs”).
“Kickback schemes drain Medicaid dollars and put patients at risk,” said Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox. “Our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit will hold accountable anyone who abuses these programs, and I know from my DOJ experience that the best results come when states and the federal government work together. We’ll continue partnering with our federal colleagues to go after fraud against both state and federal programs.”
Gilead, a California-based large pharmaceutical company, which among other things, developed, manufactured, and sold drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, will pay the states and the federal government $202 million. $49,045,600.00 of the payment will go to Medicaid programs to resolve civil allegations that Gilead’s unlawful promotion of the Gilead HIV Drugs caused false claims to be submitted to the government health care programs. Of that amount, Alaska will receive $20,203.14 in restitution and other recoveries.
Despite U=U, concerns about sharing HIV status persist among older people
22 September 2025 - By Zekerie Redzheb - aidsmap - Despite a decade of widespread ‘Undetectable equals Untransmissible’ (U=U) messaging and advances in HIV prevention, stigma has barely shifted for older people living with HIV in Amsterdam. ‘Disclosure concerns’ fell only marginally over ten years, while negative self-image did not change, report Dr Kevin Moody and colleagues in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
Interestingly, having lived longer with HIV seemed to be linked to a reduction in both disclosure concerns and negative self-image, while — as might be expected — having depression correlated with greater concerns. Living in a larger household, being a woman and being bisexual were all associated with worse stigma scores too, but these results may not be reliable as the numbers of participants matching these criteria were too small.
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From Atlanta to the White House: How Daniel Driffin (DrPH ’23) is Fighting HIV Through Community-Centered Solutions
From Atlanta to the White House: How Daniel Driffin (DrPH ’23) is Fighting HIV Through Community-Centered Solutions
September 22, 2025 - Georgia State University | School of Public Health - Like many students drawn to health careers, Daniel D. Driffin wanted to help people—he just wasn’t sure how. He was a pre-med student until his aunt, who worked in teenage pregnancy prevention, invited him to a conference that would change the trajectory of his life and career.
“That was my introduction to public health,” Driffin recalled. “I really see medicine as providing one-on-one solutions, but public health really allows us to operate with many ones at one time. For me, that has always been not only more effective but also more enjoyable—to really see how something you could implement can change a community.”
Prince Harry, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Charlize Theron and Thuso Mbedu unite with UNAIDS and Hollywood filmmaker to urge continued funding to end AIDS
GENEVA, 22 September 2025 - UNAIDS - Prominent global HIV advocates are joining forces in a new short film to call on governments and donors to sustain life-saving investments to end AIDS. They warn that hard-won progress against HIV is at risk of being reversed due to sudden and drastic funding cuts by donors.
The impact of the funding cuts is already being felt in countries with high burdens of HIV, including Eswatini, Mozambique, and South Africa, which are now facing shortages of community health workers and data collectors. UNAIDS has warned that if funding is not fully restored, as many as 6 million people could become newly infected with HIV and 4 million people could die from AIDS-related deaths between 2025 and 2029.
The film will premiere at the United Nations General Assembly on 22 September, showing world leaders the devastating impact of recent funding cuts and urging them to recommit to ending AIDS by 2030.
Bill Gates pledges $US912 million to AIDS and malaria non-profit as US cuts funding
Mon 22 Sep - ABC News - Entrepreneur Bill Gates says his foundation will give $US912 million ($1.38 billion) to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as he urged the United States government to reverse funding cuts.
Speaking on Monday, local time, Mr Gates said the world was at a crossroads, with millions of children at risk of dying if funding drops too steeply.
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Activism through art: PEERS Alliance hosting workshop to combat HIV/AIDS stigma
Sep 21, 2025 - By Brittany Spencer - CBC News - Cut the Stigma workshop part of broader art initiative set to open Nov. 1 in P.E.I.
A unique art form is being used to help break the stigma around living with HIV/AIDS.
P.E.I. advocacy group PEERS Alliance is hosting a workshop Sunday called Cut the Stigma, in partnership with the P.E.I. Trans Network. Participants will learn the art of lino cutting or lino printing – a technique where a design is carved into a piece of linoleum or rubber, covered with ink and pressed onto paper or fabric.
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Delivering to end AIDS by 2030 and sustain the HIV response beyond—UNAIDS’ transition within the UN80 vision
GENEVA, 19 September 2025- UNAIDS - The United Nations Secretary-General has put forward UN reform proposals in his new UN80 progress report, Shifting Paradigms: United to Deliver, which UNAIDS plans to discuss with its board and stakeholders. As underscored by the Secretary-General, it is with member states and governing bodies to determine the way forward on how UN80 reforms are implemented.
UNAIDS has been working within the Secretary-General’s UN80 vision, and consulted with the UN80 team, as it developed transformation plans. UNAIDS has been advancing on its transition path and is proud to help lead the way as the UN system reforms.
New York State Department of Health Celebrates National HIV/Aids and Aging Awareness Day
Department's AIDS Institute Launches New Website on HIV and Aging
Department Remains Committed to Ending the Epidemic and Supporting those Living and Aging with HIV
ALBANY, N.Y. (September 18, 2025 ) - New York State Department of Health - The New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute within the Office of Health Equity and Human Rights proudly joins the nation today in honoring the growing number of people living long and full lives with HIV on National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day.
“For decades, major advances in healthcare treatment have transformed HIV from a deadly disease for many to a manageable chronic illness for most, allowing people diagnosed with HIV to live long and full lives," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "There are still many challenges to overcome to address the medical, social and emotional needs of our aging population in New York State. Prevention efforts for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases continue to be a priority. Today we honor the courage and determination of all those who are navigating these challenges as they age with HIV/AIDS.”
UNAIDS is encouraged by the United States’ new strategy on global health and its strong commitment to continue to support people living with and affected by HIV
GENEVA, 18 September 2025 - UNAIDS - The United States has launched a new ‘America First Global Health Strategy’ which sets out a new and tailored focus for PEPFAR, working closely with countries most affected by HIV
UNAIDS welcomes the announcement by the US State Department that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will be supporting an initiative by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to provide lenacapavir to up to 2 million people in countries with high burdens of HIV.
Lenacapavir, an American-based innovation, is one of the most promising new HIV prevention tools that has emerged in the HIV response, offering protection against HIV with just twice-yearly injections. The breakthrough medicine will save thousands of lives if made widely available for all people and populations at risk of HIV including young women and adolescent girls as well as sex workers, people who inject drugs, and men who have sex with men in high burden countries and geographies.
Integrating HIV and Mental Health Services in Asia
With renewed funding, amfAR and Columbia University’s CHIMERA program enrolls a new class of six researchers and clinicians to address mental health care for people living with HIV
September 17, 2025 - amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research - Staying on top of mental health is crucial for people living with HIV (PLWH). Studies have shown that addressing mental health not only helps PLWH manage stress, address stigma, and improve quality of life but also adhere to lifesaving treatments and stay engaged in medical care.
However, access to mental health care in low- and middle-income countries in Asia is limited.
The CHIMERA program (Capacity development for HIV and MEntal Health Research in Asia), established in 2019 by amfAR’s TREAT Asia program and Columbia University’s Department of Psychiatry, is working to change that.
‘DEBORAH VANCE’ ISN’T THE ONLY WOMAN ON TV MAKING A COMEBACK: DINI PETTY RETURNS TO PRIME TIME WITH TRAILBLAZING TALKS
ON OCTOBER 13 AT 9 P.M. ET ON THE NEWS FORUM NETWORK
The One-Hour Special Features Actor-Producer Tonya Williams and Senator Marnie McBean
TORONTO, September 17, 2025 — Canada’s most fearless interviewer is back. At age 80, Dini Petty steps back in front of the cameras once again for Trailblazing Talks with Dini Petty, with a one-hour television event airing Monday, October 13 at 9:00 PM ET on The News Forum network and on thenewsforum.ca. With warmth, humour, and fearless curiosity, Petty invites audiences into conversations that span generations and challenges expectations. Ahead of its premiere, Trailblazing Talks has been greenlit to go to series. Broadcast details to follow.
“At this point in my life, I am drawn to deeper conversations about resilience, courage, and the true cost of leadership,” said Dini Petty. “Trailblazing Talks is about honouring those who dared to lead and reminding us that it is never too late to step forward with purpose”
The Preventable Return of Deadly Diseases
Sep 17, 2025 - By David Frum - The Atlantic - The historian Kyle Harper on the history of plagues, the rise of anti-vaccination politics, and why measles is back in America.
On this episode of The David Frum Show, The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with reflections on President Donald Trump’s repeated delays to enforce the congressionally mandated TikTok ban. He explains how Trump’s pattern of ignoring laws, whether by inventing tariffs, bypassing Congress on spending, or granting de facto immunity to allies, erodes the foundation of our constitutional government.
Then Frum is joined by the historian Kyle Harper, author of Plagues Upon the Earth, for a conversation about infectious disease and the politics of vaccination. They trace humanity’s long struggle against killers like smallpox, polio, and measles, and the scientific breakthroughs that transformed life expectancy. Harper explains how mistrust, misinformation, and polarization have fueled a resurgence of measles in the 2020s, even after it had been eradicated in the United States. Harper and Frum also discuss what Rome can teach us about living with plagues, why public trust is essential to public health, and why the next pandemic will find us less prepared than we were for COVID-19.
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Whether PEPFAR Lives or Dies, HIV Leaders Seek a New Way Forward
Sep 17, 2025 - Ace Robinson - TheBody - .There are rarely clear and unequivocal wins in global health policy and programs. Each program typically has lofty goals to improve health outcomes, but falls short. However, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is inarguably a success story.
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My Experiences at USCHA, Two Weeks Later
September 17, 2025 - By Shawn Decker - POZ - Two weeks ago I attended USCHA in DC, here are some pictures and thoughts from last week’s emotional—and educational—journey.
The theme of this year’s USCHA conference was Aging with HIV and, as someone who just turned 50, that’s a real snug fit. Here’s my Day One experience at the conference.
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A DAY WITH HIV
Mon 22 Sep 2025
On Monday, 22 September, photograph a moment of your day and share your story for A DAY WITH HIV. Take your best shot against stigma.
What will your picture be?
A Day with HIV is a social media-driven campaign that portrays 24 hours in the lives of people all over the world affected by HIV—that’s all of us, regardless of status. On Monday, 22 September, photograph a moment of your day—it can be a selfie, an action photo or an artful image. Post the picture to your social media with the hashtag #adaywithhiv; add a caption that includes the TIME and LOCATION of your photo and what INSPIRED you to take it.
National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day
#HIVandAging
SEPTEMBER 18
Led by the AIDS Institute, National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD) is observed each year on September 18 to focus on the increasing number of people who, because of major advancements in HIV treatment, are living long, full lives with HIV. The awareness day also calls attention to the unique health and social needs, as well as the challenges of HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care among people who are aging. This year’s theme, “Protect Our Aging Populations: Meeting New Challenges to Live Longer and Improve Lives!”, aims to emphasize the need for prevention, research, and data focused on the aging community and increase medical understanding of the impact of HIV on the natural aging process.
The Wistar Institute Launches Center for Advanced Therapeutics to Accelerate Scientific Innovation into Future Medicines
Cutting-edge research, technology & public-private collaboration elicits therapeutic potential
PHILADELPHIA — (SEPT. 18, 2025) — The Wistar Institute — The Wistar Institute announces the opening of its new Center for Advanced Therapeutics (CAT) to harness the power of Wistar science and speed creation of new drugs and therapies for human health. The CAT is led by Paul Lieberman, Ph.D., and capitalizes on a history of groundbreaking Wistar research in cancer, immunology and infectious disease.
“Despite the enormous progress of the last few years in combating cancer and other major diseases, there remains an urgent need for greater innovation, collaboration and public-private partnership to bring the next generation of molecular, personalized therapies to all,” said Dario Altieri, M.D., Wistar president and CEO, director of the Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center and Robert and Penny Fox Distinguished Professor. “This can only come from the type of rigorous, paradigm-shifting and transformational research that Wistar is known for worldwide, and this new Center, under Paul’s leadership, will function as a unique catalyst for multidisciplinary collaboration and freedom to discover, translating new insights of disease mechanisms into promising therapeutics.”
Despite fear of retaliation, hundreds of federal workers urge Congress to protect medicine and science
Sept. 18, 2025 - By Angus Chen and Anil Oza - STAT - ‘We are watching our agencies be dismantled from the inside’
HIV has been in retreat around the world. But with cuts to foreign aid, it's less clear where the trend lines go from here. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to author Emily Bass about the future of the virus.
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NPR revisits HIV/AIDS patients who lost access to meds after Trump cut foreign aid
September 15, 2025 - By Gabrielle Emanuel, Steve Inskeep - NPR - In April 2025, NPR looked at the impact of President Trump’s cuts to foreign aid on HIV positive individuals in Zambia. Many were falling sick without access to their HIV medications. We returned to those people, as well as others who keep close tabs on the HIV/AIDS situation, to see where things stand now.
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This man needs HIV prevention drugs. The Kenyan clinics providing them will soon lose U.S. funding
Sep 15, 2025 - By James Chaarani - CBC News - Staff at clinics run by University of Manitoba worry about where patients will access HIV/AIDS medication
Ibrahim Lwingi lost both of his parents due to HIV-related illnesses when he was 14. The Nairobi native describes himself as an orphan even today — he's now 43.
The virus also took the lives of some of his uncles, and Lwingi, who is gay, believes he would've been next had it not been for revolutionary HIV prevention medication. He's been able to access pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for free through clinics in Kenya run by the University of Manitoba, which says the clinics serve more than 30,000 clients.
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Researchers find a way to use antibodies to direct T cells to kill Cytomegalovirus-infected cells
September 12, 2025 - By UCLA Health - A UCLA research team has found a new way to prompt the immune system to kill cells infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV), a life-threatening infection that is particularly deadly in immunocompromised people.
They did this by engineering antibodies that direct the immune system’s T-cells to kill cells infected with the virus, which poses a danger for people such as those who have undergone organ transplants or who have AIDS. Infection with CMV can also lead to deafness in infants when the virus is transmitted from the mother during pregnancy.
The findings could pave an alternative way for treating infection without the current drugs, which are both expensive and often carry severe side effects, said study lead Dr. Otto Yang, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases and of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
New global collaboration uses UC Davis experts and AI to spot the next pandemic
(SACRAMENTO) September 12, 2024 - By Liam Connolly - UC Davis Health - UC Davis is taking a leading role in a groundbreaking international collaboration aimed at identifying viruses with the greatest potential to cause the next global pandemic.
The partnership will see researchers from UC Davis and UC Davis Health join forces with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Boston University-based Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communication Network (BEACON project) to integrate BEACON’s open-source disease surveillance program with UC Davis’s Virus Intelligence & Strategic Threat Assessment (VISTA) project (formerly “SpillOver 2.0”).
This collaboration will provide risk rankings in near real time using AI-assisted tools along with expert oversight and curation. The combined intelligence will help to identify the viruses at greatest risk of spillover from animals to humans and those most likely to cause disease and death.
“24 Hours to Save AIDS Research” to Highlight HIV Research Advances and Warn Against Continued Federal Funding Cuts
SEPTEMBER 2025 - AVAC - Online Marathon Event Will Take Place September 16th starting at 11:00 am ET
A grassroots group of organizers is announcing “24 Hours to Save AIDS Research,” a non-partisan event taking place from Tuesday, September 16, 2025, starting at 11:00 am ET that will promote the successes of HIV research and demand continued federal investments. The interactive event will feature presentations, panels, and dialogue with scientists, researchers, and advocates from around the world.
“Over the past four decades, HIV research has changed the pandemic from a nearly always terminal diagnosis to a chronic condition that can be well managed with treatment,” said organizer Gregg Gonsalves, PhD, Yale School of Public Health.* “That extraordinary success is now being jeopardized by devastating federal funding cuts to HIV research. ‘24 Hours to Save AIDS Research’ will make clear to the public what we stand to lose if these funding cuts continue.”
“24 Hours to Save AIDS Research” is an all-day, online marathon that will include more than 70 speakers from around the world sharing their work and experiences with HIV research. Registration is now open and the interactive event will stream on YouTube. Speakers represent the broad range of HIV research areas, including prevention, cure, co-morbidities, basic science, behavioral and social science, and treatment advances. The event will feature presenters from across the globe, enabling people from all time zones to access the programming in real time.
‘The landscape of HIV has changed’ | Toronto’s oldest HIV agency to close after 42 years
Sep 12, 2025 - CP24 - Executive director Ryan Lisk says the Toronto AIDS Committee will spend ‘the next six months’ referring clients to other health-care organizations.
WHO released updated guideline on HIV service delivery
12 September 2025 - World Health Organization (WHO) - WHO has released an updated guideline to support integrated HIV service delivery, promote long-term adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), and improve the overall health and well-being of people living with HIV. In line with WHO’s commitment to person-centred care, these recommendations reflect updated evidence, and the broader needs of individuals affected by HIV.
The future of HIV/AIDS after Trump's funding cuts
SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 - By Ari Shapiro, Jeffrey Pierre, Courtney Dorning - NPR - HIV has been in retreat around the world. But with cuts to foreign aid, it's less clear where the trend lines go from here. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to author Emily Bass about the future of the virus.
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ACT to Close After 42 Years of Service to Toronto’s HIV Community in a bittersweet announcement as ACT brought together the community and forever changed Public Health and Patient Access to Medications
Toronto, ON - September 12, 2025 - Thanks to groundbreaking advances in prevention and treatment, people living with HIV are living longer, fuller lives with new needs for support, beyond A
The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) announced today that after more than 40 years of dedicated service, the organization will begin the process of winding down operations over the next six months by ACT’s year-end of March 31, 2026. This bittersweet yet difficult decision comes after years of financial challenges, declining service user numbers, and significant changes in both the HIV landscape and the broader health care system.
“ACT is extremely proud of the contribution it has made in the fight against HIV and AIDS,” said Ryan Lisk, Executive Director. “For more than four decades, we have been honoured to stand alongside thousands of people living with and affected by HIV, providing support, education, advocacy, and care. This decision was not made lightly, but it is the best course forward to ensure that our staff are supported, and our service users continue to receive the resources they need through other organizations. ACT began with the hope that at some point in the future it wouldn’t be needed anymore which is why its bittersweet, and we are grateful to our community partners that are able to continue to serve the needs of people living with and at risk of HIV.”
Cuts in Global HIV Funding Could Reverse Decades of Progress
September 11, 2025 - By Michael Penn - Duke Global Health Institute - Statistical models forcasting surges in HIV are a call to action to preserve hard-earned gains, researchers say.
If significant actions are not taken to offset the massive cuts in funding for global HIV programs, decades of progress to prevent HIV-related deaths and illnesses could be lost in a matter of months, according to a new study led by Duke global health researchers.
The stark warning comes from an evaluation of nine statistical models assessing the impacts of funding cuts to global HIV prevention and treatment programs. A consensus of the models predicts that, as a result of current and proposed cuts to HIV funding in the U.S. and elsewhere, an additional 10 million people will become infected with HIV over the next five years, and an estimated 3 million more people will die from HIV-related diseases, according to the review, which appears in the September 2025 issue of Current Opinions in HIV and AIDS.
“These models show that even partial reductions in external HIV funding pose the risk of reversing decades of progress,” says Jirair Ratevosian, Dr.P.H., The Hock Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Duke Global Health Institute, who helped lead the review. “It’s important to view them not just as predictions, but as a call to action to prevent the unraveling of those hard-earned gains.”
HIV Outbreak in Swan Valley
September 11, 2025 - By Steven Sukkau - PENTICTON HERALD - The numbers landed like a gut punch. In 2022, just seven people in Prairie Mountain Health were newly diagnosed with HIV. By last year, it was 44. Now, halfway through 2025, the region has already recorded 75 cases.
That surge was the unspoken weight behind Wednesday night’s digital town hall, a virtual gathering where Swan Valley residents asked provincial health officials the question: Why here? Why now?
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Drug-resistant fungus Candidozyma auris confirmed to spread rapidly in European hospitals: ECDC calls for urgent action
September 11, 2025 - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) - Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are spreading across Europe, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is urging everyone to stay informed and practice safer sex during upcoming holidays, festivals, and travel this summer season.
Candidozyma auris (C. auris) is a fungus that usually spreads within healthcare facilities, is often resistant to antifungal drugs, and can cause severe infections in seriously ill patients. Its ability to persist on different surfaces and medical equipment and to spread between patients makes it particularly challenging to control. Between 2013 and 2023, EU/EEA countries reported over 4 000 cases, with a significant jump to 1 346 cases reported by 18 countries in 2023 alone. Five countries – Spain, Greece, Italy, Romania, and Germany – have accounted for most of the cases over the decade.
“C. auris has spread within only a few years – from isolated cases to becoming widespread in some countries. This shows how rapidly it can establish itself in hospitals,” said Dr Diamantis Plachouras, Head of ECDC’s Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections Section. “But this is not inevitable,” he added. “Early detection and rapid, coordinated infection control can still prevent further transmission.”
An Investment Strategy That Profited from AIDS Deaths | “Cashing Out” (Oscar Shortlisted)
September 10, 2025 - The New Yorker - Matt Nadel’s documentary short explores the moral complexities of buying the life-insurance policies of HIV-positive gay men.
New funding model for SAs HIV-Aids studies
10 September 2025 - By Masoka Dube - The Citizen - South Africa adopts a social impact bond to fund HIV-Aids research, ensuring continued progress despite global funding withdrawals.
South Africa’s HIV-Aids experts have a new funding model to finance HIV-Aids research programmes.
The South African Medical Research Council announced this at the 12th South African Aids Conference that is underway in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni.
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YES offering revisits Princess Di’s role in AIDS crisis
Sep 10, 2025 - Laura Stradiotto - SUDBURY STAR - Sudbury audiences can experience a story that is both deeply Canadian and universally human
In October 1991, Diana Princess of Wales made international headlines when she visited Casey House, Toronto’s first stand-alone hospice for people living with HIV/AIDS.
At a time when misinformation and fear surrounded the virus, Diana’s choice to sit with patients, hold their hands and speak with them face-to-face was both simple and revolutionary. It shattered misconceptions and offered dignity where it was most needed.
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How mRNA Could Help Create an HIV Vaccine
New technology might provide a workaround for creating an effective immune response
September 10, 2025 - By Andrea Gramatica, PhD - amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research - While antiretroviral treatments now allow millions of people with HIV to live healthy lives, the virus continues to spread globally, and a safe and effective protective vaccine remains one of medicine’s greatest unmet needs.
A new study published last month in Science Translational Medicine offers grounds for cautious optimism. Scientists tested an mRNA-based vaccine that, like the one used for COVID-19, provides cells with the genetic instructions needed to make a version of the HIV envelope protein (Env), the viral protein spike that antibodies must target to block infection.
Mark S. King’s 65th Virtual Birthday to Celebrate HIV/AIDS Survivors and Honor National HIV and Aging Awareness Day
CHICAGO, Sept. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- THE REUNION PROJECT - In partnership with The Reunion Project, long-term survivor, activist, and award-winning writer Mark S. King will celebrate his 65th birthday with a virtual event on Wednesday, December 17, at 8:00 PM ET—turning a personal milestone into a global tribute to HIV/AIDS survivors. Registration is free at www.Markis65.com.
The event launch arrives just a week before National HIV and Aging Awareness Day (September 18, 2025), a timely reminder that half of people living with HIV in the U.S. are over the age of 50. King's milestone birthday underscores the progress of HIV treatment, while highlighting the challenges and resilience of those aging with HIV.
40 years ago, the first AIDS movies forced Americans to confront a disease they didn’t want to see
September 10, 2025- The Conversation - First it was referred to as a “mysterious illness.” Later it was called “gay cancer,” “gay plague” and “GRID,” an acronym for gay-related immune deficiency. Most egregiously, some called it “4H disease” – shorthand for “homosexuals, heroin addicts, hemophiliacs and Haitians,” the populations most afflicted in the early days.
While these names were ultimately replaced by AIDS – and later, after the virus was identified, by HIV – they reflected two key realities about AIDS at the time: a lack of understanding about the disease and its strong association with gay men.
Although the first report in the mainstream press about AIDS appeared in 1981, the first movies to explore the disease wouldn’t come for four more years.
Global Fund Reports 70 Million Lives Saved – But Warns Progress Is at Risk
Geneva - 10 September 2025 - Global Fund - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) today released its annual Results Report, revealing an extraordinary milestone: 70 million lives saved since the Global Fund’s inception in 2002.
In less than a quarter century, the Global Fund partnership – driven by country leadership, affected communities and front-line health workers – has slashed the combined death rate from AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria by 63% and cut the combined incidence rate by 42%.
Ending Federally Funded Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Would Increase New HIV Infections 49% Nationwide By 2030, Computer Model Predicts
Newswise - 9 SEP 2025 - by Johns Hopkins Medicine - Findings from Johns Hopkins Medicine-led study demonstrate the critical value of Ryan White-funded prevention and treatment services in curtailing HIV transmission in the United States
In a new Johns Hopkins Medicine-led study, researchers predict that ending federal funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program could increase HIV infections across 31 U.S. cities by 49% in the next five years.
When the U.S. Congress passed the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act in August 1990, it honored a young man who had acquired HIV from a blood transfusion five years earlier at age 13.
White, who became a world-renown symbol of resistance to HIV prejudice, died in April 1990 from AIDS.
Inside high-containment labs: Protecting scientists from lab-acquired infections with high-risk viruses
08 Sep 2025 - The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity - Behind the many sealed doors of high-containment laboratories, scientists work with some of the world’s most dangerous viruses for research and diagnostic activities. To protect them from the rare risk of laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs), strict safety protocols and layers of security are in place.
High-containment laboratories, such as the National High Security Quarantine Laboratory (NHSQL) at the Doherty Institute, managed by the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL), are among the most secure laboratories in the world. Designed to safely handle pathogens that pose the highest risk to human health, the NHSQL is one of a few physical containment level 4 (PC4) laboratories in Australia, where scientists conduct diagnostic testing for high-consequence pathogens, including those causing viral haemorrhagic fever.
Researchers at the Doherty Institute recently published one of the most comprehensive reviews on preventing and managing LAIs caused by high-risk viruses, providing practical guidance for clinical care and pandemic preparedness.
This UVA Health researcher is driven to find a cure for HIV
September 8, 2025 - By Zeina Mohammed - University of Virgina - UVA Today - Godfrey Dzhivhuho has dedicated his career to understanding HIV and other infectious diseases, inspired by the epidemic he witnessed growing up.
Raised in Warrenton-Kimberly, South Africa, the oldest of six grew up at a time when the country was hit hard by an HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“We saw a lot of deaths and people getting sick to the point where the local name for HIV/AIDS translated to ‘being snatched and dug into the grave,’ simply because drugs were not made available at the time,” Dzhivhuho said. “During that time, antiretroviral therapy that treats HIV existed, but the South African government delayed making it widely available because of denial of the link between HIV and AIDS and skepticism about ARVs.”
Frustrated by what he saw, he joined Thusanang, an organization that engaged youth in HIV prevention education. That experience sparked his passion to understand the disease and how to treat it.
Vietnam ranks among world’s top 4 in HIV/AIDS treatment
September 8, 2025 - VietNamNet - A decade of progress has placed Vietnam alongside leading nations like the UK and Germany in HIV/AIDS care.
Vietnam's efforts in HIV/AIDS prevention and control over the years have led to significant achievements. The country is now recognized globally - alongside the UK, Germany, and Switzerland - as one of the top four nations offering the highest quality HIV/AIDS treatment. An impressive 96% of patients receiving HIV treatment in Vietnam have achieved viral suppression, greatly reducing transmission rates in the community.
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Aging Well Together With HIV
September 8, 2025 - By Tim Murphy - POZ - Helping others can uplift the lives of people living with HIV as they get older.
Recent research has consistently found a strong association between loneliness and accelerated or worse aging—whether or not you’re living with HIV. On the happier side, social connection appears to be strongly linked to optimal aging.
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PHOTOS: U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS
September 8, 2025 - By Michael Key - Washington Blade - Magic Johnson, Dr. Fauci among featured speakers
NMAC presented the 2025 U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C. at the Marriott Marquis from Sept. 4-7. The theme this year was “Aging with HIV.” Featured speakers included Dr. Anthony Fauci, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Adm. Rachel Levine and Jeanne White-Ginder.
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In April NPR profiled people who couldn't get their HIV drugs. How are they faring now?
September 6, 2025 - By Gabrielle Emanuel - NPR - In April 2025, we published a story with the headline: "Haunted by hopelessness: 12 Zambians share their stories as HIV drugs run out." It looked at the impact of President Trump's cuts to foreign aid and his stop work orders on HIV positive individuals. In August, we reached out to them again as well as others who keep close tabs on the HIV/AIDS situation to see where things stand now. This story is part of our annual series "Whatever happened to ...".
This year Billiance Chondwe has found himself careening between grave concern for his community and guarded optimism.
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24 Hours to Save AIDS Research (a livestream)
Join us on September 16!
September 6, 2025 - Over the past four decades, HIV research has saved tens of millions of lives through discoveries in HIV treatment and prevention, with the US federal government playing a foundational role in that success. Unprecedented assaults on science and research and the systematic dismantling of federal institutions over the past months risk those accomplishments. These unparalleled budget cuts and project terminations will set the HIV/AIDS response back years, if not decades.
It's not too late to change that! The commitment and actions of the scientific and advocacy community have been successful in reversing some of these funding decisions and we need to keep up the pressure.
Join us on September 16 starting 11:00 ET as scientists, researchers, and advocates from around the world describe what has been achieved through decades of federal investments and what we stand to lose. Don't miss the opportunity to come together in community as we share insights, answer questions, and inspire action.
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AIDS Monument opening in West Hollywood this autumn, includes stories of athletes
STORIES: The AIDS Monument is opening to the public this autumn and will include stories of several athletes whose lives were cut short.
September 5, 2025 - By Cyd Zeigler - OUTSPPORTS - The long-awaited public unveiling of STORIES: The AIDS Monument — memorializing the worldwide struggle with AIDS — seems to finally be coming to life in West Hollywood.
Organizers have released a save-the-date for November 16 at the nearby Pacific Design Center, with an after-party celebration at The Abbey.
Theratechnologies Announces Availability of EGRIFTA WR™ (tesamorelin) for injection to Reduce Excess Abdominal Fat in Adults with HIV and Lipodystrophy
MONTREAL, Sept. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EGRIFTA WR™ offers convenience of weekly reconstitution and reduced daily injection volume, compared to EGRIFTA SV®
Specialty pharmacies are now ordering EGRIFTA WR™ to fill prescriptions
Theratechnologies Inc. (“Theratechnologies” or the “Company”) (TSX: TH) (NASDAQ: THTX), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced the availability of EGRIFTA WR™ (tesamorelin) for injection for the reduction of excess abdominal fat in adult patients with HIV and lipodystrophy. The announcement follows the approval of EGRIFTA WR™ by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year.
“Excess visceral abdominal fat is an increasingly important health concern for people living with HIV, and for the healthcare providers who treat them,” said Christian Marsolais, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Theratechnologies. “With EGRIFTA WR™, we aim to simplify the management of excess visceral abdominal fat and enhance users’ experience, as part of our commitment to helping people with HIV live their best lives.”
Surgeons general warning: CDC saves lives. It's up to us to save public health. | Opinion
Despite promises by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he has instead jeopardized its integrity and public health.
Sept 5, 2025 - By Dr. Joycelyn Elders, Dr. Richard Carmona and Dr. Jerome Adams - USA TODAY - As former surgeons general of the United States, we are gravely concerned by the recent developments surrounding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The firing of the CDC director, the forced departure of key officials, and the appointment of an individual without a medical degree or actual public health experience as the interim head of the CDC represent actions that jeopardize not only the institution’s integrity but also the health and well-being of millions of Americans.
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USCHA Day One: Scenes From the 2025 U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS
September 5, 2025 - By Trent Straube - POZ - Protests on Capitol Hill, DEI whiplash, long-term survivors, dandelions and a Choose U debut: Check them out at this year’s USCHA in Washington, DC.
The U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA) takes place annually in rotating cities across the nation, but the 2025 return to Washington, DC, seems to capture this specific moment in history. Congress members, freshly returned from summer break, are about to vote on a proposed budget that guts HIV funding and erases decades of progress. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been dismantling federal health institutions and lifesaving policies, is being grilled by lawmakers. HIV organizations are scrambling to survive in a brave new world in which federal grants will definitely not go to populations that need support the most. And oh, yes, National Guard troops and militarized ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents roam the streets to intimidate and terrorize citizens at the whim of President Trump.
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The US will buy 2 million doses of an HIV prevention drug for low-income countries
WASHINGTON (AP) - September 5, 2025 - By Lauran Neergaard, AP - Richmand News - The U.S. is purchasing enough doses of a new twice-a-year HIV prevention shot to share with up to 2 million people in poor countries by 2028, the State Department announced Thursday.
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UNAIDS welcomes US announcement to expand access to medicine to prevent HIV and urges greater global ambition to reach all in need
GENEVA, 5 September 2025 - UNAIDS - UNAIDS welcomes the announcement by the US State Department that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will be supporting an initiative by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to provide lenacapavir to up to 2 million people in countries with high burdens of HIV.
Lenacapavir, an American-based innovation, is one of the most promising new HIV prevention tools that has emerged in the HIV response, offering protection against HIV with just twice-yearly injections. The breakthrough medicine will save thousands of lives if made widely available for all people and populations at risk of HIV including young women and adolescent girls as well as sex workers, people who inject drugs, and men who have sex with men in high burden countries and geographies.
Gilead Sciences Launches Choose U™ Campaign Spotlighting the Inspiring Experiences of People Living with HIV
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- September 4, 2025 - –Global Initiative Seeks to Empower Individuals Navigating HIV Care Journey–
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced the launch of Choose U™, a new campaign that spotlights the multifaceted experiences of people living with HIV globally. The timing of the campaign launch coincides with the convening of the 2025 United States Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA) taking place September 4-7 in Washington DC, which will center on the theme of aging with HIV.
Co-created with community representatives from around the world, Choose U is comprised of inspiring examples of how the outlook for aging with HIV has dramatically changed. By focusing on the real-world experiences of people in different circumstances, Choose U spotlights individuals prioritizing HIV self-care and overall wellness strategies to help them lead healthier lives.
PEPFAR Commits to Distributing Breakthrough HIV Drug Lenacapavir Demonstrating American Excellence in Science and American Leadership in HIV Prevention
September 4, 2025 - U.S. Department of State - The U.S. government is making a pre-market commitment to purchase the drug lenacapavir from Gilead Sciences, an American Company. Lenacapavir is a new, extremely effective HIV prevention injection that only has to be taken twice a year. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will distribute lenacapavir in 8-12 high-burden HIV countries in 2026. With lenacapavir, PEPFAR is seeking to meaningfully reduce the number of new HIV infections, especially in pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
PEPFAR’s Support of American Innovation to Reach up to 2 Million People by 2028 with Breakthrough HIV Drug Lenacapavir
September 4, 2025 - U.S. Department of State - Today, the U.S. Department of State announced a market-shaping initiative by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to bring U.S.-based Gilead Sciences’ breakthrough drug lenacapavir to market in high-burden HIV countries. The initiative – which will promote global scale in production and distribution of the medication and catalyze further global investment – has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters Introduces Legislation to Prevent the Spread of HIV in Honor of the U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS
Washington, D.C. – September 4, 2025 - Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) - Two-Bill Package Funds HIV Prevention Efforts and Improves Access to HIV Prevention Drugs
Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, as part of her ongoing HIV/AIDS policy advocacy, introduced the HIV Prevention Now Act (H.R. 5126) and the PrEP and PEP are Prevention Act (H.R. 5127) in the House of Representatives today, in honor of the U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS, which is being held in Washington, DC beginning today, through Sunday, September 7, 2025.
Congresswoman Waters has been spearheading initiatives to increase HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, screening, and treatment since the 1980s. In 1989, she worked with the Clinton administration to establish the Minority AIDS Initiative, which significantly expanded HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts for minority communities that are severely and disproportionately impacted by HIV. Because of her advocacy, the funding for this initiative has increased from the initial appropriation of $156 million in Fiscal Year 1999 to more than $400 million per year today.
Democratic Republic of the Congo declares Ebola virus disease outbreak in Kasai Province
Kinshasa - September 4, 2025 - World Health Organization - Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have declared an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Kasai Province where 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths, including four health workers, have been reported as of 4 September 2025.
The outbreak has affected Bulape and Mweka health zones in Kasai Province where health officials have been carrying out investigations after the cases and the deaths reported presented with symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and haemorrhage. Samples tested on 3 September at the country’s National Institute of Biomedical Research in the capital Kinshasa confirmed the cause of the outbreak as Ebola Zaire caused by Ebola virus disease.
Gilead Announces Partnership With PEPFAR to Deliver Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention for up to Two Million People in Primarily Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- September 4, 2025 - –PEPFAR, Coordinated by the U.S. State Department, will Support Delivery of Lenacapavir for PrEP in High-Incidence, Resource-Limited Countries as Key Part of Strategic Efforts with Global Fund to Accelerate Access–
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced a partnership with the U.S. State Department and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to deliver lenacapavir—Gilead's twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor—for the prevention of HIV as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This is a key component of Gilead’s larger coordinated efforts, now bringing together the resources and expertise of both PEPFAR and the Global Fund, to further advance access to lenacapavir for PrEP for up to two million people over three years in countries supported by both organizations.
EARTHDAY.ORG Joins Scientists in Condemning Trump
Administration’s Politically Motivated Climate Report
Washington, DC (September 4, 2025) - EARTHDAY.ORG - EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO), the world’s largest environmental movement, is standing firmly with more than 85 leading scientists who have condemned a new Trump administration report that attempts to downplay the dangers of climate change.
In July, the U.S. The Department of Energy (DOE) released its report “A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate.” However some of the world’s top scientists quickly identified the report as deeply flawed, riddled with errors, selective citations, and cherry-picked data designed to support the president’s political agenda rather than the scientific truth.
As the US Quits the Global HIV Fight, Canada Can Step Up
September 4, 2025) - By Michelle Gamage - THE TYEE - A renowned local researcher says scaling up British Columbia’s HIV strategy could help end the global AIDS pandemic by 2030.
Developing and impoverished countries around the world have, until recent cuts, depended on U.S. funds for HIV testing, treatment and prevention.
“UNAIDS ran a questionnaire for the main countries affected by HIV to try and understand how weak their stocks of antiviral therapy, HIV prevention and HIV testing were,” said Dr. Julio Montaner
“All will run out by the end of the summer,” he said.
ONE DOSE OF ANTIBIOTIC TREATS EARLY SYPHILIS AS WELL AS THREE DOSES
NIH-funded clinical trial shows potential to simplify treatment for early syphilis.
September 3, 2025 - NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH - Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found that a single injection of the antibiotic benzathine penicillin G (BPG) successfully treated early syphilis just as well as the three-injection regimen used by many clinicians in the United States and elsewhere. These findings from a late-stage clinical trial suggest the second and third doses of conventional BPG therapy do not provide a health benefit. The results were published today in The New England Journal of Medicine.
“Benzathine penicillin G is highly effective against syphilis, but the three-dose regimen can be burdensome and deter people from attending follow-up visits with their healthcare providers,” said Carolyn Deal, Ph.D., chief of the enteric and sexually transmitted infections branch of NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). “The new findings offer welcome evidence for potentially simplifying treatment with an equally effective one-dose regimen, particularly while syphilis rates remain alarmingly high.”
Celebrities and a #CutsKill Quilt Join AIDS Advocates in DC to #SaveHIVFunding
September 3, 2025- By Trent Straube- POZ - As the U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA) takes place this week, GOP lawmakers propose massive HIV funding cuts. Learn more about the “Slash and Burn” bill.
Broadway star Javier Muñoz and reality TV sensation Peppermint will join HIV advocates at the nation’s capital this week to urge Congress members to #SaveHIVFunding. The effort coincides with the annual U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA), held this year in Washington, DC, September 4 to 7.
This year’s conference—the nation’s largest gathering of the HIV community—will take place as HIV programs and many folks affected by HIV face unprecedented attacks from the federal government. Notably the Trump administration and Republican Congress members have slashed HIV funding and research both nationally and globally, with more draconian cuts proposed by the Trump White House for fiscal year 2026.
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On the Brink of Catastrophe: U.S. Foreign Aid Disruption to HIV Services in Tanzania and Uganda
Executive Summary
September 3, 2025 - Physicians For Human Rights - On January 20, 2025, the U.S. government issued a freeze on all new foreign aid funding and a 90-day review of existing foreign aid.1 A few days later, the administration issued stop work orders on all existing foreign aid awards 2 and began dismantling the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).3 A limited humanitarian waiver for lifesaving assistance programs was issued,4 but excluded programs related to abortion; family planning; gender or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology programs; and other non-life saving assistance.
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Protesters demand release of HIV funds ‘illegally’ withheld by Trump
People take to streets against Trump administration plans to rescind funding for life-saving international programs
3 Sep 2025 - The Guardian - As Congress reconvened on Tuesday, activists gathered near the White House to protest against cuts to global HIV funding, calling attention to funds they say are being withheld illegally by the Trump administration despite being appropriated by Congress.
The end of the fiscal year 2025 is 30 September, which means the majority of the withheld federal funds will disappear. The activists called for the release of the funding for programs such as Pepfar (the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief), a program established in 2003 that has saved an estimated 26 million lives around the world and promised to help bring the HIV epidemic to an end.
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Magic Johnson: ‘We don’t have to be ashamed of it.’
Sep 2, 2025 - Positively Aware - Magic Johnson’s 1991 interview with Arsenio Hall: ‘What we have to do is make people aware of what’s happening’
Editor’s note: For many people, Earvin “Magic” Johnson might be the most famous person with HIV of all time. In November 1991, the Los Angeles Lakers basketball player announced that he had tested positive for HIV. The news made headlines; if one of the most famous—and beloved—NBA stars could get HIV, who was safe?
It was a different time. Although AZT had been in use to treat HIV since 1987, the first effective HIV medications would not be available until 1996, changing HIV “from a death sentence to a life sentence.” Stigma and misinformation were especially virulent in those early years of the epidemic. How people talked nearly 30 years ago about HIV might raise some eyebrows today.
For many with HIV, drugs lifted their death sentence. Now they must face old age.
NKULAGIRIRE, Uganda (AP) - Sep. 2, 2025 - By Matt Sedensky - Winnipeg Free Press - Past a smoldering pile of trash and two bleating goats, through a doorway beginning to buckle beneath the weight of the bricks above, is a darkened room where a skeletal, 70-year-old man lies on a pillowless bed above a floor littered with trash.
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U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS opens in D.C. this week
Magic Johnson to highlight theme of ‘Aging with HIV’
September 2, 2025 - By Lou Chibbaro Jr. - Washington Blade - The 29th annual United States Conference on HIV/AIDS, considered the nation’s largest and most comprehensive gathering of experts involved in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic, is scheduled to take place in D.C. Sept. 4-7 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.
Among the keynote speakers at the conference will be “basketball legend, renowned entrepreneur, and advocate of people living with HIV Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson,” according to a statement released by NMAC, the D.C.-based national HIV/AIDS organization and lead organizer of the conference.
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San Francisco group creates quilts to protest proposed federal cuts to HIV programs
September 2, 2025 - By Amanda Hari - CBS News - The U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS is happening in Washington, D.C, this week and activists from San Francisco are getting ready to attend.
One group with the Save HIV Funding Coalition has created a quilt to highlight and visualize the potential impact of proposed federal cuts to HIV programs and services. Across it, it says “Stop the Cuts.”
“Lives will be lost as a result of the loss of these critical programs,” said organizer Ande Stone.
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Study suggests link between hepatitis B immunity and lower risk of developing diabetes
Overall HBV immunity linked with a 15% lower risk of diabetes, with higher protection in younger people and those with higher immunity shown by higher antibody levels
Sep 2, 2025 - European Association for the Study of Diabetes - New research to be presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (15-19 September) and published in the journal Diagnostics shows that people with hepatitis B immunity induced by vaccination have a lower risk of developing diabetes of any kind. The study is by Dr Nhu-Quynh Phan, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, and colleagues, under the supervision of Professor Chiehfeng Chen.
The liver plays an important role in glucose metabolism, specfically maintaining the balance of glucose levels (glucose homeostasis) and it is thought HBV infection may affect liver functions and disrupt these metabolic pathways, increase the risk of abnormal blood sugar profiles and eventually increase the risk of developing diabetes, Thus, HBV vaccination, which provides immunity against HIV infection, may reduce this risk. However the role of HBV immunity in diabetes prevention among individuals without HBV infection is underexplored. In this new study, the authors evaluated whether HBV immunity reduces diabetes risk in individuals without HBV infection.
NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Names Charles M. Blow, Mark S. King and Lyra McKee to LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame
WASHINGTON, DC - Sep 2, 2025 - NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists - Today, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists announced that journalist and author Charles M. Blow, writer and activist Mark S. King and investigative reporter Lyra McKee are the 2025 inductees into the LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame.
“Today, we celebrate the extraordinary impact of three visionary journalists who brought courage, brilliance, and authenticity to their work,” said NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Executive Director Adam Pawlus. “By welcoming Charles M. Blow, Mark S. King, and Lyra McKee into the LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame, we honor their leadership, their commitment to truth and their enduring influence on journalism.”
Mark S. King Inducted into Journalist Hall of Fame
Sep 2 2025 - By Mark S. King - My Fabulous Disease - Writer, activist, and 40-year HIV survivor Mark S. King will be inducted into the LGBTQ+ Journalist Hall of Fame, it has been announced by the national journalist organization NLGJA. Also being inducted are Charles Blow, celebrated opinion columnist for the New York Times, and the late Lyra McKee, an investigative journalist and author from Belfast whose work gave voice to a new generation of queer writers.
Over $3.4 Million Raised at amfAR Venezia Gala
Jude Law Presented Julian Schnabel with Award of Inspiration Colman Domingo Hosted Ava Max and Paris Jackson Performed
Venice, Italy, September 1, 2025 - amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research - Today, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists announced that journalist and author Charles M. Blow, writer and activist Mark S. King and investigative reporter Lyra McKee are the 2025 inductees into the LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame.
“Today, we celebrate the extraordinary impact of three visionary journalists who brought courage, brilliance, and authenticity to their work,” said NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Executive Director Adam Pawlus. “By welcoming Charles M. Blow, Mark S. King, and Lyra McKee into the LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame, we honor their leadership, their commitment to truth and their enduring influence on journalism.”
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