Global HIV Prevention Conference Highlights Progress and Challenges in the Fight Against HIV
The 5th HIV Research for Prevention Conference (HIVR4P 2024) in Lima, Peru, brought together over 1,300 experts, advocates, and policymakers to share the latest findings and strategies in HIV prevention science. The conference marked a significant milestone in the global fight against HIV, with a focus on long-acting prevention options, PEP and PrEP implementation, prioritizing choice in HIV prevention, and HIV vaccine research.
The event featured 16 invited-speaker sessions, 26 oral abstract sessions, 26 satellite sessions, and almost 650 posters and e-posters, providing a comprehensive overview of the evolving landscape of HIV prevention. The conference also saw 203 scholarship recipients from over 50 countries attend, representing a diverse range of professions and organizations.
The International Aids Society highlighted four key takeaways from the conference:
- Long-acting prevention options, such as injectables, are a game-changer in HIV prevention, particularly in low-resource settings. However, accessibility remains a major challenge, with advocates calling for affordability and availability in low-income regions.
- PEP and PrEP implementation is crucial, but barriers to access persist, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Innovative strategies to improve access were discussed, focusing on expanding these prevention tools to underserved populations in Africa and Latin America.
- Prioritizing choice in HIV prevention is essential, with the HIV Prevention Choice Manifesto for Women and Girls in Africa emphasizing the need for multiple prevention options. This approach can empower communities and enhance uptake.
- HIV vaccine research is gaining momentum, with researchers exploring new immunogens and innovative approaches to develop vaccines capable of eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), which could potentially prevent HIV infection.
As delegates return to their respective countries, the knowledge shared at the conference will help shape future HIV prevention strategies. The global community is moving closer to the ultimate goal of ending the HIV pandemic, but continued collaboration, advocacy, and scientific innovation are necessary to overcome the remaining challenges.
In a closing plenary session, Sharon Lewin from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Australia emphasized the need for a vaccine and a cure, stating, "Antiretrovirals alone will not see the end of an HIV pandemic. We need a vaccine, we need a cure…"
