GNP+ participated in the the 25th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) that took place in Munich, Germany, from the 22nd – 26th July under theme: “Put People First”. #AIDS2024 is the largest conference that unites communities, activists, civil society organisations, researchers, clinicians, inter-governmental organisations, governments and other stakerholders from across the globe to exchange innovations, new evidence and advancements within the HIV response. GNP+ together with sister Global Networks of people living with HIV; Y+ Global & International Community of Women Living with HIV play a vital role of community representation at the International AIDS Society (IAS) committee.
In the lead-up to AIDS 2024, GNP+, ICW, Y+ Global, HJN, PAC, AAE, ASHM Health, EATG and Afrocab hosted a successful people living with HIV pre-conference #Living2024 on the 20th – 21st July which brought together more than 200 people living with HIV from Europe , Africa, MENA, North America , Latin America , Asia, OCEANIA and supported over 70 people living HIV, including young people in all their diversity with scholarship to attend the event.
GNP+ also led the coordination of the people living with HIV Networking Zone, which provided space to networks of people living with HIV and partner organisation to host panels and sessions in the zone. Around 25 sessions under the themes: Strong Movement Building, Rights and Decriminalization, Intersectionality, Leadership, and Innovation, Access to Treatment and Services, and Sustaining the HIV Response Amidst Global Challenges were hosted in the PLHIV networking zone throughout the conference in the global village. The PLHIV networking zone provided a platform for communities/networks of people living with HIV and key populations to come together, share experiences, and build supportive communities toward the elimination of HIV. One of the sessions in the networking zone was #BetterMeds4Kids, which was organised by PATA and GNP+ through the EPIC (End Paediatric AIDS in Children), which is an advocacy initiative in collaboration with Aidsfonds and focuses on access to quality treatment for paediatrics and children by supporting meaningful engagement of communities of PLHIV in spaces where children living with HIV issues are discussed. The webinar aims on creating footprints and continues advocating for closing gaps in addressing challenges faced by children living with HIV and ensuring that they are all enrolled on the safe, lifelong treatment.
For those communities that could not make it to the conference due to several barriers including visa denials, GNP+ through its partnership with Y+ Global and ICW Global with the support of IAS, we hosted virtual hubs, which provided an opportunity to more than 200 young people from Colombia, Honduras, Kenya, Laos, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe to attend the conference in their countries without worrying about the expenses associated with international conferencing. This initiative ensured that we live up to the theme of putting people first and not leaving anyone behind, especially young people.
GNP+ has also collaborated with other networks and partners in hosting sessions during the official conference, which has provided a platform to share more on how critical it is to put people first and letting communities lead, which will be a win-win in ending HIV, GNP+ has used the platform to bring in the reality of PLHIV and lived experience to influence change and advocate for investment in community led programms.
The conference has also provided an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come after 40 years of the pandemic and a reminder of recommitting resources for the sustainability of the future in the case of HIV. It is essential to continue working towards a world free of HIV/AIDS. One of the platforms GNP+ participated in was an opportunity to speak at the BCIU event that focused on “Creating a shared vision for sustainability—maintaining space for non-governmental actors to play a role in the HIV/AIDS sustainability agenda.”.
It has was a remarkerble AIDS2024, where communities painted what it meant to “PutPeopleFirst” in different spaces that included interviews, sessions, patners dinners, side events, poster presentation, lauch of new datas, all this was a platform to bring out the communities voice and lived expreience in the fight toward HIV
GNP+ was also fully engaged in the U=U conversation, including in the launch of the comprehensive resource guide “Implementing and Scaling Up U=U” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Prevention Access Campaign (PAC). The U=U University Satellites go beyond U=U awareness and explore utilizing U=U as an intervention and message of hope to the communities of people living with HIV. As one of the U=U champions, GNP+ is committed to spreading the message of hope on UequalsU, which has recently been backed by data that people living with HIV who are taking ARV and their VL are suppressed have zero% of transmitting HIV to their partners. The communities of people living with HIV wish not only to spread the message of hope but also highly aim on breaking the stigma around it.
During the conference, GNP+ hosted a networking event “friends of GNP+” to celebrate our collaboration with old and new partners and communities leadership in the fight to end HIV. We were humbled by the success of this event as more than 200 communities of people living with HGIV in their diversities showed up to celebrate our past, present and future milestones together.
#PutPeopleFirst #CommunitiesFirst#LeadWithCommunities #UequalsU
