Lunch symposium: Innovative approaches to HIV prevention and treatment  

Thursday 13 November, 12:55 – 13:55 (Helsinki time), Room Veranda 3 


Organised by:

ViiV Healthcare

Background

Now more than ever, bold and inclusive policy action is essential to reinvigorate the HIV response and protect public health. Around the world, progress towards ending the HIV epidemic is stalling with rising infections in key populations and specific regions, growing stigma, and unequal access to services which threaten to reverse decades of gains. The weakening of the global HIV response not only risks widening health disparities but also undermines efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and strains already overburdened health systems.

This session will explore the evolving HIV landscape in Europe and globally, spotlighting how political will, innovation, and community leadership can converge to drive real change. With a particular focus on HIV innovation and long-acting injectables (LAIs), we will examine how groundbreaking tools - combined with person-centered, inclusive strategies - can break down barriers, address inequities, and catalyse stronger, more resilient health systems.

Objectives 

  • Showcase how sudden, drastic funding cuts by the US and other governments have created a systemic shock to the HIV response, triggering huge disruptions to treatment and prevention programmes around the world. Explore the impact of these geopolitical dynamics in practice, and the heightened risk of a resurgent pandemic and failure to meet collective mission to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
  • Stress the importance of person-centered, inclusive frameworks and sustained investment in innovation to strengthen the HIV response and improve population health.
  • Leverage data-driven insights to explore unmet needs and collectively address persistent gaps in care and prevention through innovative, inclusive approaches tailored to key populations. Showcase real-world examples of community-led initiatives that expand access to testing, prevention, and treatment, improving health outcomes.
  • Provide actionable recommendations for incorporating innovative approaches into national HIV strategies and care systems, with the goal of enhancing public health and promoting health equity.

Format and Speakers 

Lunch Symposium with keynote speakers and panel discussion.

  • Henry Bonsu, Moderator
  • Denis Onyango, Programmes Director, Africa Advocacy Foundation (AAF) 
  • Vilma Pietilä, Managing Director, Finnish HIV Council / Hivpoint 
  • Samira Hakim, Secretary, Trans United Europe

Programme 

12:55 – 13:05 Keynote: Politics, Power and Public Health in Shifting Global Landscape                   
Explore how shifting geopolitical dynamics -  from international tensions to national policy changes - together with evolving HIV epidemiological trends and funding priorities, is shaping public health responses, global solidarity, and access to prevention, treatment, and innovation in the fight against HIV and other infectious diseases.

13:05 – 13:15 Community-led Approaches: Addressing Unmet Needs in HIV Prevention and Care
Highlight innovative, community-led approaches that tackle unmet needs by overcoming barriers in testing, prevention, and treatment - moving beyond stigma to practical solutions.

13:15 – 13:30 Advancing Health Equity: Innovation in Action
Examine how innovations such as long-acting injectables (LAIs) and person-centered frameworks are transforming HIV prevention and care to improve outcomes and equity.

13:30 – 13:55 From Innovation to Integration: Policy and System-Level Recommendations           
Present actionable recommendations for embedding HIV innovations into national strategies and healthcare systems to strengthen responses and promote health equity.

Registration not required

Registration is not required. Delegates who are registered for the main EPH Conference can attend free of charge. Get your lunch in the Exhibiton / Catering Area, walk in and join the session.