Some notable outcomes of the conference include:
, arrives at a time when the HIV response is facing unprecedented challenges. While scientific progress has been remarkable—with the number of AIDS-related deaths dropping by 54% since 2010—stagnation in recent years has left 9.2 million people without life-saving medicine. Key themes for the upcoming summit include: Scientific Resilience: Protecting unhindered scientific inquiry and clinical trials. Evidence-Based Policy: Ensuring that political decisions reflect the latest research and data. Innovation Access: Bridging the gap for long-acting treatments and prevention tools like injectable lenacapavir. Recent Lessons from IAS 2025 (Kigali) The 13th IAS Conference on HIV Science in Kigali, Rwanda, served as a somber precursor to Rio. It highlighted the severe impact of sudden funding cuts, particularly the suspension of US foreign aid through PEPFAR . Mozambique: Reported a 25% drop in adults starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) in early 2025. South Africa: Johannesburg saw a 31% decline in HIV diagnoses following the withdrawal of major funding. Event Details: AIDS 2026 11 sites AIDS 2026 overview - International AIDS Society AIDS 2026 in context ... By the end of 2024, the number of AIDS-related deaths had dropped by 54% and new HIV acquisitions by 40% ... International AIDS Society (IAS) Takeaways from IAS 2025 - International AIDS Society Jul 18, 2025 — international aids conference
The conference is uniquely structured around three key pillars to ensure a holistic response to the epidemic: The 25th International AIDS conference (AIDS 2024) Some notable outcomes of the conference include: ,
The conference first convened in 1985 during the height of the AIDS crisis, providing a critical forum for a world desperate for answers. Over the decades, it has been the stage for historic milestones: It highlighted the severe impact of sudden funding
Cohen, M. S., Chen, Y. Q., McCauley, M., et al. (2011). Prevention of HIV-1 infection with early antiretroviral therapy. New England Journal of Medicine , 365(6), 493–505. (Presented first at the 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment & Prevention – an official IAC-affiliated meeting – and later at IAC 2012).
The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated these efforts, disrupting supply chains and diverting healthcare resources away from HIV programs. Recent conferences have had to address the "twin pandemics," exploring how the infrastructure built for HIV can support responses to COVID-19 and vice versa. As the world looks toward the Sustainable Development Goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, the IAC remains the critical checkpoint for accountability.