The International AIDS Society (IAS) conferences are always bursting with events, announcements and debates, and the 10th International Conference on HIV Science (22-24 July, Mexico City) was no exception.
ITPC’s daily highlights cut through the noise to recap on some of the most important messages and themes emerging this year, including: the need to tailor HIV interventions for men; the urgent need to go beyond the rhetoric and seriously ramp up action if we are to achieve 90-90-90 and other commitments; and the science being celebrated at the conference (and previous conferences) is not yet reaching everyone who must benefit from it – and what to do about it.
Here are the daily highlights, which were shared throughout the conference.
Pre-conference day 1 (20 July): Missing men
Men are missing from many HIV interventions – this fact and the need to tailor services – reverberated around IAS, and on social media, after the Men and HIV Forum. This, and more, captured below:
Pre-conference day 2 (21 July): Diagnostics, testing and treatment!
Barriers include price discrepancies for key HIV treatment – varying as much as 1700% from country to country.
Day 1 at the conference (22 July): 164 days to 90-90-90
A stark reminder that when commitments aren’t met, there is an unacceptable human cost.
Day 2 (23 July): Treatment and stigma barriers are blocking access
We share our experiences of two of the main barriers to achieving a sustainable HIV response, and how to go beyond the problem.
Final day (23 July): Accelerate science, not profit!
The last day ended with a party, but was everyone invited?
Activists highlighted the need for countries to take a stand against arbitrary over-pricing by pharmaceutical companies, in order for essential treatment to reach everyone in need.
