AIDS 2026, the 26th International AIDS Conference

AIDS 2026 is the premier global forum on the HIV epidemic, convening scientists, policymakers, community advocates, and implementers from around the world.

At this year’s conference, EGPAF will lead a satellite session on what it will actually take to end pediatric HIV amid funding disruptions, feature community health worker programming through the ViiV Breakthrough Partnership, host a reception for partners and stakeholders, and present research from Malawi and Cameroon on advanced HIV disease, vertical transmission, and treatment continuity.

Following the conference from afar? We’ll be sharing updates from Rio all week — sessions, research, and what it means for children, youth, and families living with HIV. Subscribe for conference updates here.

Schedule

Satellite | Bridging Communities and Health Systems: CHW Best Practices for HIV Care and Support for Children and Adolescents

Monday, July 27, 2026 | 9:30 – 11 am  
Room 205
Featuring: EGPAF’s Martha Mukaminega and Pauline Masabala

This workshop draws lessons from five African countries through the Breakthrough Partnership, a model engaging governments and communities to locate, link, treat, and retain mothers and children at risk or living with HIV. It highlights the critical role of CHWs as trusted community members who bridge families and health systems. Lessons emphasize integrating CHWs into primary health care with training, structured supervision, and referral pathways to ensure continuity of care, address workload, burnout, and stigma, and maximize their impact in sustaining community-based HIV services. 

Global Village | Leading at Every Level: A Candid Conversation Between a Community Leader and C-Suite Leader

Monday, July 27, 2026 | 3 – 4 pm
Youth Pavilion Room 1
Speakers: EGPAF’s Doris Macharia and Doreen Moraa

This session brings EGPAF President Doris Macharia and social media influencer and AIDS 2026 Prevention Ambassador Doreen Moraa to a shared stage. Together, they will talk about why they do this work, what it will take to end pediatric AIDS, and how large organizations and communities can work together.

The session will showcase how leaders at different levels are making an impact in the global HIV response and will have a Q/A portion for the audience. Too often, Executives and Community Leaders are speaking in different rooms to different audiences. This session aims to break down those barriers. 

Exhibition Hall | GAP-f Partner Conversation: Accelerating the Transition to pALD

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 | 10:45-11:30 am
Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) Booth
Featuring: EGPAF’s Martha Mukaminega

The paediatric fixed dose combination of abacavir/lamivudine/dolutegravir (pALD) is now supplied in 47 countries. That’s real progress, but the product remains to be filed, approved and supplied in many more countries before we can talk about success for this important transition.

This session asks three questions: what have we learned, where are we now, and what will it take to make the remaining transition to pALD smooth and fast?

Satellite | Children Can’t Wait: From Funding Crisis to Foundational Fixes: What it will actually take to end pediatric HIV 

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 | 12 – 1 pm 
Room 103
Hosted by: Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

We are closer to ending pediatric HIV than at any point in history. And yet in 2024, 120,000 children acquired HIV — every case preventable. Children are 3% of people living with HIV but account for 12% of all HIV-related deaths. Without timely diagnosis and treatment, half will not reach their second birthday. 

The global HIV field is excited about innovation — and rightly so. But innovation alone will not end pediatric HIV. Globally, nearly 58% of new infections in children occur because the mother was never diagnosed or never started ART. Maternal acquisition during pregnancy and breastfeeding accounts for another 25% — where long-acting PrEP has genuine potential, but only if women stay on it. Early data from countries like Malawi show that adherence and retention on lenacapavir remain real challenges. The foundational gap must be confronted alongside the innovation agenda. 

The funding disruptions of the past year have aggravated these gaps. New infections in children had declined 62% since 2010. That progress is now in jeopardy. This session will examine where the gaps are, what the evidence tells us about fixing them, and what the global HIV community can commit to today. 

Panelists:

• Dr. Roland Van de Ven, EGPAF 
• Dr. Friday Saidi, UNC Lilongwe
• Dr. Prosper Njau, NASHCoP Tanzania
• Ismail Harerimana, EGPAF
• Dr. Doris Macharia, EGPAF   

Reaching the Unreached: AI to Expand Access to Vulnerable Populations 

Invite-only reception co-hosted by Audere Africa, EGPAF and PSI