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# An HIV Conference in Resilience

By Ace Robinson · September 24, 2026

First published on [TheBody](https://www.thebody.com/hiv/international-conference-aids-2026-hiv-community-resilience). Republished here with a link to the original.

## In This Article

- [A Chance to Reconnect and Recommit](#a-chance-to-reconnect-and-recommit)
- [Across Many Professions, Boundless Communal Energy](#across-many-professions-boundless-communal-energy)
- [A Communal Understanding of What the Next Steps Will Take](#a-communal-understanding-of-what-the-next-steps-will-take)
- [A Response Spanning Multiple Fields and Multiple Generations](#a-response-spanning-multiple-fields-and-multiple-generations)
- [Standing Up and Dusting Ourselves Off](#standing-up-and-dusting-ourselves-off)

July 2025. It was six months after global public health, and the HIV response specifically, was turned on its head at the beginning of the new U.S. presidential administration.

Clinics closed overnight. On the other side of the globe, people lost access to antiretroviral medication instantly. Bottles of PrEP were no longer available to those most in need. HIV research halted immediately. Dedicated clinical researchers had their careers ended or thrown into limbo. Even while scientific advances were taking us forward by leaps, redefining HIV prevention and care in ways that we could only previously dream about, chaos had become the norm.

During all of this, thousands of HIV-focused scientists, clinicians, and advocates convened in Kigali, Rwanda, for the International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Science. It was a “Conference in Mourning.”

July 2026. It has now been 18 months since the U.S. greatly reduced its investment in human capital through its role as the major funder of HIV prevention, treatment, and research worldwide.

Many HIV clinics that had been significantly funded by the U.S. government have still not reopened. Some of the people with HIV served by those clinics were able to find a way back to accessing treatment, but far too many did not. PrEP access has remained elusive. Some HIV clinical and research support has returned, here and there, but in trickles—and often with restrictions against focusing on the communities most impacted by HIV.

Through these unprecedented challenges, the HIV response carried on, as it has through each and every adversity we have faced over the decades. And once again, many of the world’s leading scientists, clinicians, and advocates found a way to convene for another IAS meeting—this time, the International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (AIDS 2026).

But this time, it was a Conference in Resilience.

## A Chance to Reconnect and Recommit

Carioca is the term that residents of Rio de Janeiro proudly use to describe themselves. At the conference, there was a distinct energy emanating from these attendees; they brought a unique vibe to the Global Village, while they simultaneously showcased the direct impact of developments we have seen, both forward and backward, in the HIV response.

More widely, there was also a palpable resolve and energy at AIDS 2026—and it flowed stronger and more boldly with each passing day. The opportunity for leaders to meet in person fueled this feeling.

“There is only so much work that can be done in Zoom meetings,” said Greg Millett, M.P.H. (he/him), the vice president and director of public policy at amfAR and a member of the IAS Governing Council. “Meeting so many colleagues in-person in a defined space like a conference helps to spark a wealth of ideas and collaborations.” These sparks can often result in near-immediate impact on the lives of people with HIV and the communities most impacted by HIV transmission.

“The science continues to move quickly, with more effective and flexible prevention and treatment options” on the horizon, mused Asa Radix, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. (he/him), an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University and a leading clinical voice on transgender health. “LA [long-acting] PrEP and ART [antiretroviral therapy], weekly oral regimens, and DoxyPEP are giving people choices that can better fit their lives. I’m using these new data from Australia and other countries to inform our new roll-out of DoxyPEP.”

Many of the clinician-researchers who showed up at this meeting have spent their careers serving those most in need, and they remain steadfastly focused on doing so despite the pressures of the Trump administration and its allies. Attendee Tonia Poteat, Ph.D., M.P.H., PA-C (she/her), the Ruby L. Wilson Distinguished Professor at the Duke University School of Nursing, is a preeminent clinical researcher and advocate focused on the needs of gender-diverse populations.

Like many of her peers, Poteat has decades of service in the HIV field. Her story began while she was a college student in the late 1980s, she recalled: “I saw an advertisement for an ‘AIDS 101’ at the local AIDS service organization. I attended that session to learn more about this new life-threatening disease, and I started volunteering as an assistant to the executive director. Little did I know that that was just the beginning.”

Most, if not all, people who chose careers in the HIV field could have earned significantly more money in other fields. However, the conference grounds were filled with people who just won’t give up on their passion—no matter what. Millett shared what inspires him the most: “It’s the stories,” he said. “Community-based organizations that have survived in face of funding cuts but are still fighting to provide HIV prevention and care for their communities. Scientific talks discussing new methods to prevent HIV or to keep people with HIV healthy that build upon existing long-acting game changers.”

## Across Many Professions, Boundless Communal Energy

It becomes clearer with each passing day how vital it is to address the intersections among evidence-based scientific research, population health, human rights, and access. That is what this meeting was designed to accomplish: It “showcased the resilience, innovation and diversity of the global HIV movement,” explained Kenneth Ngure, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Sc. (he/him) of Kenya, the newly installed president of IAS. “Personally, as an implementation scientist with over 22 years of experience, I was reminded that our greatest charity is not in delivering effective interventions, but in making sure that they reach the people who need them most, and at speed and scale.”

During my career, I have met countless clinical researchers and administrators outside of the HIV field who remain in awe of the unyielding energy of the HIV Community. Health care leaders who toil in fields serving similar key populations (e.g., tuberculosis, malaria, and hepatitis) often discuss how they wish they could harness the magical collective power of that Community. In my opinion, the magic stems from our ability to harness the intersection of human rights and scientific progress from all invested parties—including advocates, researchers, and clinicians.

“Scientific progress cannot compensate for the dismantling of the systems that deliver care,” Radix opined. “Funding cuts and anti-LGBTQ+ policies are already disrupting HIV prevention and treatment, with community-led organizations and key populations disproportionately affected.” That necessitates a multipronged response, as it always has.

## A Communal Understanding of What the Next Steps Will Take

At AIDS 2026, the resolve and resilience of HIV leaders were on full display. But there was no denial of the real and present harm that has been, and continues to be, done to people with HIV globally, as well as people from key populations who remain greatly impacted (e.g., sexual minorities, gender minorities, migrants, and people who use drugs).

“Real gains were made because we had an advocacy community to push for tangible results beyond efficacy trials,” Millett reminds us. At the same time, “It was also sobering to hear presentations from clinicians on the ground discussing the number of clients who lost their lives because of the damaging interruptions to care by the U.S. government. Real people. Real lives. Gone for no reason.”

At conferences like AIDS 2026, the Venn diagram of clinical researchers and advocates almost completely overlaps. And with so many administrative leaders who are also openly living with HIV—or who come from communities disproportionately impacted by HIV—one can hear the passion come through in every conversation. When I asked Poteat what she will take away from this conference, she responded, “Two quotes stand out to me. One, ‘Innovation without access is injustice.’ Science has come so far since the beginning of the HIV pandemic, yet access to life-saving interventions remains out of reach for so many people. Science alone will not end HIV as a public health threat.

“And two, ‘Visibility without protection is irresponsible.’ This quote was from a panelist speaking about the backlash against trans and gender-diverse people happening across the world.”

Radix agreed: In the United States, he noted, “the attacks on transgender people have had tangible health consequences, undermining access to gender-affirming and HIV care, and threatening decades of progress in HIV prevention and treatment.”

## A Response Spanning Multiple Fields and Multiple Generations

Moments like this remind us that the arc of justice is just that: a curving path, not a linear one. We can, and have, seen numerous small steps forward followed by major steps backward. This reality occurs across health justice, gender justice, or any other social justice effort. After AIDS 2026 concluded, Ngure shared this reflection: “I was reminded, most importantly, that HIV progress is not going to be driven by [scientific] advances alone. It’s going to be advanced when communities, political leadership, and importantly financing, sustainable financing, come together.”

Ngure also noted how impressed he was by the presence of younger people at the meeting. “There were quite a number of young people who received IAS Youth Scholarships,” he recalled. “I hope you saw them in all the areas, from the community, to the scientific field, and from health workers—quite a huge proportion.” I did indeed see them.

One lunchtime break stood out: I had the opportunity to meet a Black, nonbinary, 21-year-old undergrad from Williams College named Michelle Ametekpor (they/them). Ametekpor grew up in Essex County, New Jersey, which is one of the most HIV-impacted regions in the U.S. This person, who is new to the HIV field, spent our lunch talking me through what their community thought about the growing politicization of HIV in the U.S. They spoke about the pathways that must be built to improve engagement with their Black Futures peers, including the importance of speaking accessible language. They also talked about the next generation of incoming politicians who are not only their age, but who are also their social peers. Our conversation gave me a new perspective and sense of value to the work that lies ahead for us all.

## Standing Up and Dusting Ourselves Off

During this conference, numerous presentations detailed what we have lost with respect to lives and scientific progress. But we also learned about advancements, such as once-per-week HIV treatment, which appears efficacious in early trials and is potentially on the precipice of approval early next year. It is a moment of contradictions and tensions.

Yet many of today’s leaders, with their decades of lived experiences in the HIV field, remain strong. “Yes, we were a community in mourning,” Ngure said. “But this time, we have stood up, dusted ourselves [off], and we are no longer a community in mourning. We are resilient people.”

As long as we continue to fight against the sociopolitical systems that lead to increased rates of HIV acquisition, progression, and ultimately death, we will continue to have social justice agents standing front and center. That includes globally respected and grounded public servants like Poteat, who remind us of why a gathering like AIDS 2026 is so valuable. “It is important to be in a space with community, scientists, implementers, and politicians all focused on addressing HIV,” she said. “It was a glimmer of hope in a world where that can be hard to find.”

Onward. Together.

_TheBody is an official media partner of AIDS 2026. Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of HealthCentral LLC._

[Read the original on TheBody](https://www.thebody.com/hiv/international-conference-aids-2026-hiv-community-resilience)[Talk to us about your work](https://healthequity4all.org/contact.html)