|
Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - April 2026
RIP Loreen Willenberg, Who Gave Her HIV-Proof Body to Science and Her Heart to the Community
Apr 30, 2026 - By Tim Murphy - TheBody - Loreen Willenberg passed away in the Sacramento, California, area on April 6 at age 71. She will be remembered—particularly among HIV researchers and activists—for being one of only three known people in the world whose body seemed to eradicate HIV with no help from antiretrovirals. Ever.
Before her death—caused by lung cancer that spread to her brain—she gave science the enormous gift of her own body. She did so throughout much of her adult life by volunteering for an endless series of medical studies, and she extended that donation past her death through the Last Gift Study. That choice will allow scientists to continue searching for clues as to why her body had an extraordinary natural HIV-squelching ability, which made her what researchers call an “exceptional elite controller.” This mystery has fascinated researchers for years—and if they can crack it, it might reveal a pathway to a functional cure for the rest of us, who can only suppress HIV through lifelong treatment.
Read more...
Facing AIDS and Cancer: A Jersey Shore Reflection on Legacy and Connection
April 29, 2026 - By Michael Varga - Cure - Diagnosed with both AIDS and cancer, a writer finds solace in the Cape May surf and the profound gift of a friend truly engaging with his life’s work.
In 1995, doctors told me I would probably be dead of AIDS by April 1997. I had retired early from the U.S. Foreign Service, and patients with AIDS were dying rapidly. There was no effective treatment for AIDS or HIV. It was a grim time, and I had no reason to think I would be any different than the hordes of patients who had already succumbed, who were deprived of a normal life span and the opportunity to grow old.
I imagined some fairy-tale scene where my friends would gather around my deathbed as I took my last breath. I told my friends to come to visit “before it was too late.” I pressed them to understand the urgency of my situation and said I needed their support in my final months.
How a Small Team Is Bringing the AIDS Memorial Quilt into Sharp Focus
April 29, 2026 - ByBritta Shoot - KQED - Nearly 40 years after the project started, volunteers are rephotographing the 500,000-panel collaborative artwork.
On a recent morning in an unmarked, unfinished San Leandro storefront, Michael Berg and Will Roczkos crouch over a bright blue block of AIDS Memorial Quilt panels. Each of the eight panels in the block, made by people to honor their loved ones, contains an impressive array of creative embellishments: spray paint, rhinestones, intricate hand-stitching, and photos — inside plastic sleeves or printed right into the fabric.
Read more...
Newly diagnosed with HIV? Advocates share their best advice for seeking treatment
In this episode of The Talk, people living with HIV say it's important to honor your feelings, ask lots of questions, and develop a new routine.
Apr 29, 2026 - By Quispe López - ADVOCATE - Considering treatment options can feel like an overwhelming process for many people newly diagnosed with HIV. That being said, as medicine has advanced over the years, there are more options for people living with HIV to manage their care and explore multiple avenues of medicine. In this episode of The Talk, advocates share examples from their own experiences with treatment.
Read more...
An Atlanta activist’s grassroots mission to stop the HIV epidemic
April 29, 2026 - By Michele Cohen Marill - Atlanta Magazine - When federal support for HIV prevention faltered, Daniel Driffin turned disruption into a mission
Daniel Driffin takes off his blue tweed blazer and lays it on a table so he can ease into a conversation that keeps him in motion. The nearby buffet table is crowded with plentiful trays of fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens, candied yams, and pound cake. There’s a festive feel to this gathering at the Hope Center in Macon, a clinic for people living with HIV. A kind of instant camaraderie. This is a safe space for asking questions, learning, and keeping it real.
Read more...
Best Supporting Actors: Other Immune Cells Shaping the Future of HIV Research
April 28, 2026 - By Kelsey Hopland, PhD - amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research - For decades, the CD4+ T cell has been the central character in the story of HIV. However, the immune system is not a one-man show. A diverse cast of immune cells each play distinct, complex, and sometimes surprising roles. Increasingly, scientists are turning their attention to some “supporting actors”—B cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and macrophages—uncovering how they contribute to HIV persistence, immune dysfunction, and potentially the path toward a cure. Here, we spotlight how emerging research, including work supported by amfAR, is reshaping our understanding of these immune cells in the context of HIV.
HIV patients in Senegal skip treatment, fearing arrest amid anti-2SLGBTQ+ crackdown
Apr 29, 2026 - Thomson Reuters - CBC - 86 people have been arrested in the country since February
Fewer patients are visiting some HIV treatment centres in Senegal amid a wave of arrests targeting 2SLGBTQ+ people, according to health officials and government data seen by Reuters, threatening the country’s fight against the virus.
Listen & Read more...
Mozambique takes a decisive step in HIV prevention with the introduction of Lenacapavir and the Biomedical Combination Prevention Guidelines
Maputo - April 27, 2026 - World Health Organization (WHO) - The Ndlavela Health Center, in the municipality of Matola, hosted yesterday the official launch ceremony for the provision of Lenacapavir (LEN) administration services, an alternative drug for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Led by the Ministry of Health (MISAU), the event—which marks a significant step forward in Mozambique’s response to the HIV epidemic—brought together government representatives, local authorities, partners, health professionals, civil society organizations, and community members.
Simultaneously, and in alignment with the National Strategic Plan for the Response to HIV and AIDS (PEN V), MISAU launched, in a separate session, the Guidelines for Combined Biomedical Prevention of HIV, STIs, and Viral Hepatitis, which establishes practical guidelines for health care providers, managers, and other stakeholders in the implementation of integrated prevention measures, including the administration of LEN.
Opinion: Canadians’ access to the infant hepatitis B vaccine shouldn’t be a lottery
Apr 26, 2026 - By Jody Jollimore - The Sudbury Star - When hepatitis B is acquired in adulthood, most people can clear the virus. But when infection occurs in childhood, the outcomes are starkly different
What is a Canadian’s risk for developing an incurable chronic hepatitis B infection? The answer depends partly on the province or territory where they were born.
Read more...
Manitoba Government Announces the Stephen Lewis Fellowship in HIV/AIDS Research
April 26, 2026 - Province of Manitoba - Fellowship Will Support Research to Manage HIV/AIDS in Manitoba: Kinew
The Manitoba government is creating a new post-doctoral fellowship in HIV/AIDS research in honour of the late Stephen Lewis, Premier Wab Kinew announced today, the day of Lewis’s funeral.
“Stephen Lewis was an inspiration,” said Kinew. “From serving as Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations to his role as the United Nations secretary-general’s special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, and as the co-founder of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, which supports community-based HIV/AIDS initiatives in Africa, Stephen drew international attention to the scale of the crisis and the need for urgent action, funding and access to treatment.”
US is taking a ‘real risk’ with hasty shift in efforts to fight HIV, experts say
April 26, 2026 - By Melody Schreiber - The Guardian - Experts fear losing ground to virus even as the end of the HIV epidemic is in sight, and say decline in infant testing is ‘particularly concerning’
The US government released likely the last report from Pepfar (President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief) earlier this month and the chief science officer announced his resignation days later as the US moves to a patchwork of individual partnerships with each country, potentially driven by resource extraction.
Read more...
Toronto team leads first-in-Canada case of sustained HIV remission
April 25, 2026 - By Betty Zou - U of T News - University of Toronto - A team of clinicians and researchers at University Health Network (UHN), Unity Health Toronto and the University of Toronto have reported the first Canadian case of sustained HIV remission – and possible cure – in a 62-year-old man who received a bone marrow transplant to treat cancer.
The case describing the so-called “Toronto patient” was presented today at the Canadian Association of HIV Research Conference. It was co-led by Sharon Walmsley, director of the HIV clinic at UHN and a professor of medicine in U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and Mario Ostrowski, a clinician-scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto, and a professor of immunology, medicine and laboratory medicine and pathobiology at Temerty Medicine.
Gaiha Lab Identifies T Cells With Robust Expansion Capability That Help a Rare Group of People Naturally Control HIV After Treatment Interruption
April 24, 2026 - Ragon Institute - A small number of people living with HIV are able to durably suppress the virus after stopping antiretroviral therapy, a phenomenon that has long interested researchers searching for a functional cure. A new study from the Gaiha Lab at the Ragon Institute, published in Science Translational Medicine, helps explain why, and points to a specific type of immune cell that could be the key to designing better therapies.
The research focuses on people known as post-treatment controllers, or PTCs, who make up roughly 4% of people living with HIV and who can suppress the virus for months or years after stopping their daily medication. Until now, it wasn’t clear what role CD8+ T cells (the cells of the immune system that kill virus-infected cells) played in sustaining this control.
ACTG Launches Landmark Study Evaluating Treatments for Depressive Disorders with or without Mild Neurocognitive Disorder among People Living with HIV
CHAPEL HILL, N.C., April 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - ACTG - ACTG, a global clinical trials network focused on HIV and other infectious diseases, today announced the opening of study A5402, an important new study that researchers hope will expand understanding of how to best treat depressive disorders and mild neurocognitive disorder (MND) among people living with HIV. A5402 is a phase 2, randomized, open-label clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of pramipexole (a drug that stimulates receptors for the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain) compared to escitalopram (a traditional antidepressant that modulates serotonin, a different neurotransmitter) to treat depressive disorders with or without MND among people living with HIV.
Depressive disorders and MND both affect a significant portion of people living with HIV in the United States and worldwide, even when their HIV is successfully managed and treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART). People with MND have worse cognitive performance around memory, language, and multitasking than people who do not have MND. Combined, depressive disorders and MND can affect up to 80 percent of people living with HIV, a two- to four-fold increase compared to people who do not have HIV.
Doctors can refuse to treat LGBTQ+ patients in several states…including Ohio
April 23, 2026 - By Nathaniel M. Tran and Periwinkle Seljord-Solberg - The Buckeye Flame - These religious exemption laws lead to drops in HIV testing.
An increasing number of U.S. states have passed laws that allow health care providers – including doctors, nurses and pharmacists – to refuse to treat patients based on their personal or religious beliefs. While these conscientious objection laws have long existed for issues such as abortion, their effects on LGBTQ+ people have not been well studied.
As of April 2026, 11 U.S. states have enacted conscientious objection laws specifically targeting LGBTQ+ people. As public health researchers who study the effects of public policies on the health of LGBTQ+ people, we wanted to examine how these laws have affected the roughly 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ Americans living in a state where a provider can legally refuse them care.
Specifically looking at sexual minorities, our research found that lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer adults living in states that passed conscientious objection laws were 28% less likely to report receiving a first-time HIV test, compared to peers in states without conscientious objection laws. These laws did not affect HIV testing rates for heterosexual adults.
Long-Acting HIV Shots Appeal to Many but Uptake Remains Low
April 23, 2026 - By Andrew Smith - Rutgers University - When it comes to HIV medication, many patients think they’d prefer an occasional injection over a daily pill, but uptake remains an issue, according to a Rutgers Health-led survey.
When researchers surveyed 801 people living with HIV in Boston, Chapel Hill, N.C., and San Diego, 68% of respondents said they would prefer an antiretroviral shot every two months to a daily pill. Yet according to a study in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, only 2.8% of the patients actually received such shots, even though they’ve been available for four years.
“There's clearly something that is limiting the ability of patients to translate their preferences into actually being on the medicine,” said Deanna Kerrigan, a professor and vice dean at the Rutgers School of Public Health and the study’s lead author.
New study reveals few pharmacists prescribe “game-changer” HIV prevention drug
April 22, 2026 -UC Berkeley Public Health - University of California, Berkeley - Almost 5,000 people in California are newly diagnosed each year with HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. The greatest burden of these new infections occurs in men who have sex with men and Black and Latinx people.
Since 2012, four HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications have been introduced that, taken by people who do not have HIV, reduce the risk of getting HIV from sex by 99% and from a drug injection by at least 74%, according to the National Institutes of Health. To make the PrEP drugs more widely accessible, the state of California enacted two laws that enabled pharmacists to prescribe an initial 60-day supply of PrEP (SB 159, 2019) and to provide ongoing PrEP care (SB 339, 2024).
But, surprisingly less than 3% of California community pharmacies are actually offering HIV PrEP services, according to a study led by UC Berkeley School of Public Health for the California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Centers (CHPRC) .
As Floridians With HIV Face a Drug Coverage Cliff, Groups Scramble to Offer a Lifeline
Apr 22, 2026 - By Tim Murphy - TheBody - A Chatham-Kent man is remembered for sharing his personal HIV journey to help Indigenous men and others cope while living with the virus.
Donald Turner, who died April 11, a day shy of his 73rd birthday, received tributes from the Canadian AIDS Society and the national Indigenous organization CAAN Communities, Alliances & Networks.
Read more...
Donald Turner shared HIV journey to help others heal, live with virus
Apr 22, 2026 - By Ellwood Shreve - CHATHAM DAILY NEWS - A Chatham-Kent man is remembered for sharing his personal HIV journey to help Indigenous men and others cope while living with the virus.
Donald Turner, who died April 11, a day shy of his 73rd birthday, received tributes from the Canadian AIDS Society and the national Indigenous organization CAAN Communities, Alliances & Networks.
Read more...
FDA Approves New HIV Combo Pill Idvynso
April 22, 2026 - By Liz Highleyman - POZ - Once-daily doravirine/islatravir single-tablet regimen is a switch option for people with viral suppression.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Idvynso, Merck’s once-daily single-tablet regimen containing doravirine and islatravir, as a replacement for people currently on treatment with an undetectable viral load. Late-stage clinical trials showed that Idvynso maintains viral suppression when people switch from a standard daily oral antiretroviral regimen.
Doravirine (sold alone as Pifeltro) is a next-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor with a high barrier to resistance. Islatravir is a first-in-class nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor. As the first complete regimen without an integrase inhibitor or tenofovir, Idvynso offers a new type of treatment option.
Read more...
FDA Approves Merck’s Once-Daily IDVYNSO™ (doravirine/islatravir)
April 21, 2026 - RAHWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck & Co., Inc. - IDVYNSO is approved for adults with virologically suppressed HIV-1 with no history of virologic treatment failure and no known substitutions associated with resistance to doravirine
IDVYNSO is the first and only non-INSTI, tenofovir-free, once-daily, complete two-drug regimen to demonstrate non-inferior efficacy in a head-to-head Phase 3 trial versus three-drug regimen BIKTARVY®i (BIC/FTC/TAF)Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today upcoming presentations from its HIV clinical development programs that will be featured during the 2021 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2021), taking place virtually from March 6 – 10, 2021.
Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved IDVYNSO™, a new, two-drug single-tablet regimen of 100 mg doravirine and 0.25 mg islatravir, for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults to replace the current antiretroviral regimen in those who are virologically suppressed (HIV-1 RNA less than 50 copies per mL) on a stable antiretroviral regimen with no history of virologic treatment failure and no known substitutions associated with resistance to doravirine. IDVYNSO is contraindicated when co-administered with drugs that are strong cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A enzyme inducers and lamivudine (3TC) or emtricitabine (FTC). Co-administration with these drugs may decrease the effectiveness of IDVYNSO. See additional selected safety information on the following pages. IDVYNSO (pronounced ihd-VIHN-soh) will be available in pharmacies after May 11.
HIV treatment reduces accelerated biological ageing by nearly four years, landmark study shows
(Monday, 20 April 2026, Munich, Germany) - ESCMID - European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases - A major study presented at ESCMID Global 2026 has found that antiretroviral therapy reduces accelerated biological ageing in people with HIV by nearly four years
A major study presented today at ESCMID Global 2026 has found that antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces accelerated biological ageing in people with HIV (PWH) by nearly four years, a finding that could transform how clinicians monitor HIV treatment and long-term health outcomes.1
Researchers developed a plasma proteomic ageing clock (PAC) – a tool that estimates biological age, reflecting physiological ageing rather than chronological age – using patterns across hundreds of blood proteins. The model was applied to participants in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS).
SAMRC Strengthening Health Systems with a $400, 000.00 funding boost
April 21, 2026 - South African Medical Research Council | SAMRC - The SAMRC is injecting $400, 000.00 into South African health and medical research funding to address strategies for supporting health systems to improve equitable health outcomes globally.
“This investment reflects a deliberate shift toward implementation science that ensures proven interventions translate into real-world impact, particularly in health systems that serve the most vulnerable populations,” said Prof Ntobeko Ntusi, President and CEO of the SAMRC.
Early immune responses linked to protective HIV antibodies
21 April 2026 - Wits University - New research links immune response of some people living with HIV with development of neutralizing antibodies.
New research links immune response of some people living with HIV with development of neutralizing antibodies.
Some people living with HIV develop antibodies capable of neutralizing many different strains of the virus. New research links this to immune responses that occur early in infection.
The findings, published this week in PLoS Pathogens, come from an international research collaboration that includes South African scientists at Wits University, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA). International partners include the University of Gothenburg and SciLifeLab in Sweden, Stanford University, and the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub in the USA.
People living with HIV age faster, but antiretroviral therapy can help: New study
April 20, 2026 - By Angela Nicoletti - CIDRAP - University of Minnesota - It’s well established that HIV speeds up the aging process, possibly due to chronic inflammation. But antiretroviral therapy (ART) can slow down and possibly even reverse aging caused by an infection, according to new research presented in Munich at the annual meeting of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID).
HIV disrupts lung “clock,” raising COPD and emphysema risk
April 20, 2026 - By Angela Nicoletti - FIU News - Florida International University - People living with HIV face a greater risk of developing lung diseases at a much younger age, even if they have never smoked.
FIU researchers have now uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that helps explain how HIV causes emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
In a study published in Communications Biology, the team found that an HIV protein, known as Tat, essentially disrupts the lungs’ internal molecular “clock” — the timekeeping system that regulates daily lung function and, importantly, plays a key role in immune response. This unleashes a cascade of chronic inflammation that damages airway tissue, setting the stage for disease.
5 Facts About the Fight Against HIV/AIDS in Suriname
April 20, 2026 - The Borgen Project - Located on South America’s Northern coast, the small country of Suriname holds a diverse population. While its public health landscape faces challenges in 2026, the country has emerged a regional leader in integrated care, bridging the gap between remote interior communities and urban centers. According to the World Bank, almost 26% of the population lives below the poverty line. These rates increase in the more interior regions with limited basic infrastructure.
Poverty is often a driver that increases vulnerability to HIV/AIDS infection, simultaneously creating significant barriers to accessing treatment. Despite this, the fight against HIV/AIDS in Suriname continues, with the understanding that social stigma can be as much a hurdle as access to medical care.
European Immunization Week 2026, For every generation, vaccines work: three countries reach 90% HPV vaccination target as Europe steps up action on cancer prevention
April 20, 2026 - European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDC) - “After 15 years of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programmes across Europe, growing evidence confirms their long-term effectiveness. A new report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on HPV vaccination programmes in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) highlights steady progress in cancer prevention efforts across the EU/EEA.”
As Europe marks European Immunization Week (EIW) 2026, ECDC reports continued progress in HPV vaccination across the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA).
According to the new ECDC report, all EU/EEA countries now recommend HPV vaccination for adolescent girls and boys as part of their immunisation programmes, marking a major step forward in Europe’s’ cancer prevention efforts.
This progress is already translating into high vaccination uptake in several countries. The report indicates that three EU/EEA countries (e.g. Iceland, Portugal, Norway) have reached the 2024 EU Council Recommendation target of 90% HPV vaccination coverage among girls by the age of 15 years.
European Immunization Week 2026: For every generation, vaccines work
April 20, 2026 - European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDC) - Immunization Week digital event, 20 April, 13,30 CEST
Mark European Immunization Week 2026 with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. In partnership with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety and the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, we invite you to an online event centred on this year’s theme: ‘For every generation, vaccines work’
A comparative study of spiritual health in HIV-positive patients and healthy individuals
19, april 2026 - Nature - Abstract
Given the role and importance of spiritual well-being in individuals living with AIDS and the role of psychological interventions on the spiritual components of these patients, the present study was conducted to study and examine the spiritual well-being of HIV-positive patients and compare it with healthy individuals. This was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study conducted in Mashhad (a metropolitan area in northeast of Iran) in 2021. A census method was employed for the research, involving HIV-positive patients and a random sample of healthy individuals visiting the Comprehensive Health Center, who participated after giving informed consent. The demographic form and the Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire (SWBQ) were completed by the patients.
Waking HIV from its secret hiding places
April 18, 2026 - Written by Heather Ellis, National Association of People with HIV Australia (NAPHWA) - Doherty Institute - New Australian grant advances HIV cure research using mRNA
A Melbourne-based HIV cure research team has received $1.2 million to continue their breakthrough mRNA-based approach first reported in 2025, which made international headlines.
Last year, the team at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity used mRNA embedded with a special message that targets HIV telling it to wake up. While it’s only been tested in the lab, the theory is that once this sleeping HIV is woken up, the immune system may be able to help clear those cells harbouring HIV.
Lenacapavir’s Introduction in Zimbabwe
April 16, 2026 - The Borgen Project - Zimbabwe’s Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic has been among the most severe globally, shaped by decades of social, economic and structural pressures. At the turn of the 21st century, the country faced one of the highest HIV prevalence rates worldwide, with an estimated 1.3 million people living with the virus. The epidemic has strained families, eroded the workforce and pushed public health services to their limits. Although sustained national efforts and global partnerships have driven major progress, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Global AIDS Update 2022 warns that prevention gains are now faltering, with inequalities continuing to fuel new infections in high-burden countries.
“They are already dead”: how outdated knowledge and cruel stereotypes contribute to depression and suicide in Malawi teens with HIV
16 April2026 - By Gus Cairns - aidsmap - A qualitative study of adolescents living with HIV in Malawi has found that outdated beliefs about HIV, and stereotypes of people with it, contribute to pervasive and persistent stigma against young people living with the virus. This does not only have adverse psychological effects but disadvantages them in practical ways, damaging their educational and employment prospects.
Read more...
Drug resistant fungi warning
15 April 2026 - The University of Manchester - An international group of scientists has warned that drug-resistant fungi are spreading fast and putting vulnerable patients at growing risk.
Fifty researchers from institutions around the world - including the University of Manchester - have issued the alert in Nature Medicine, calling for urgent action to stop fungal infections becoming untreatable.
They say fungi in soil, crops and hospitals are increasingly resistant to the medicines used to control them.
For most healthy people this poses little danger, but for patients with weakened immune systems the infections can be deadly.
U‘Vought cuts kill people’: Aids activists interrupt Trump budget chief hearing
April 15, 2026 By Melody Schreiber - Tha Guardian - Proceedings brought to halt as protesters condemn Russ Vought for slashing Pepfar program amid sweeping aid cuts
Protesters decrying delays to funding in the battle against HIV/Aids charged into a congressional hearing where the Trump administration’s budget czar, Russell Vought, was testifying in Washington on Wednesday.
The demonstrators disrupted the proceedings on Capitol Hill and twice brought the hearing to a halt.
Read more...
Wistar Institute Scientist Dr. Alex Price Awarded Prestigious, Early-Career NIH Grant
PHILADELPHIA — (APR. 15, 2026) - The Wistar Institute -The Wistar Institute, a world leader in cancer, immunology, and infectious disease research, has been awarded a five-year, $2,532,750 National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) to support the research of Alex Price, Ph.D. Through this funding, Price investigates how immune cells distinguish “self” from “non-self”—a fundamental process that enables the body to eliminate viruses and other foreign invaders without attacking healthy cells.
U.S. and Global Fund Expand Commitment to Long-Acting HIV Prevention as Country Rollout of Lenacapavir Accelerates
GENEVA/WASHINGTON D.C. - April 14, 2026 - Global Fund - The United States and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) today announced an expanded commitment to scale up access to long-acting lenacapavir (LEN) for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), aiming to reach an additional 1 million people over the next three years. Building on the original commitment, this brings the total joint ambition to 3 million people reached with LEN through 2028.
“This expanded commitment in partnership with the United States reflects both the scale of the opportunity and the urgency of the moment,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “Long-acting lenacapavir could reshape HIV prevention by overcoming some of the structural challenges that have long constrained uptake. The task now is to translate scientific progress into broad, equitable access – at speed and at scale.”
Eat, drink, donate: Edmonton restaurants to join national fundraiser for HIV/AIDS support programs
April 13, 2026 - By Hannah Kavanagh - CTV News - If you plan on going out to eat on Wednesday, nine Edmonton restaurants will see that your money goes toward programs and services supporting the needs of those living with or impacted by HIV/AIDS.
A Taste For Life is a national fundraiser that partners with city restaurants to help maintain local programs.
Read more...
Florida HIV/AIDS funding cuts spark backlash as state drops key service contracts
April 13, 2026 - By Zachary Bynum - CBC News - A growing fight over HIV/AIDS funding in Florida is raising new concerns about access to life-saving care, after the state declined to renew several contracts with one of the nation's largest HIV service providers.
The Florida Department of Health notified the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) it would not renew five contracts tied to HIV testing, treatment, housing support and wellness services across counties including Miami-Dade and Broward, according to recent reporting.
Read more...
Hospital at centre of child HIV outbreak caught reusing syringes in undercover filming
April 13, 2026 - By Ghazal Abbasi, Seamus Mirodan and Mohammad Zubair Khan - BBC Eye, Punjab, Pakistan - Mohammed Amin was eight when he died shortly after testing positive for HIV.
Read more...
De-Fusing the Growing HIV-Dementia Time Bomb 45 Years After the First AIDS Case
April 13, 2026 - Posit Science | BrainHQ - Some 45 years ago, the first cases of AIDS appeared in New York, and then, everywhere. Three years later, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was identified as the cause, followed over the ensuing four decades by ever-improving treatments for HIV and its prevention. However, those managing their infection for decades, now face the risk of much higher rates of dementia (as much as nearly double)
than those found in their HIV-negative peers. A new study found a brain exercise regimen used in conjunction with compensatory cognitive training helped improve the cognitive status of people with HIV, who face that risk. The brain exercises used in the study are found in app BrainHQ — the same app shown in studies over the past six months to rejuvenate brain chemical production in older adults, to improve brain wiring after brain injuries, and to reduce dementia risk in older adults for decades after use.
The Positive Brain Health Now Study, 10 Years Later: What we Learned and our Legacy for People Living with HIV
April 13, 2026 - Bristish Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) - BC-Cfe IN-PERSON EVENT
LEARNING SERIES)
April 29, 2026 from 12:00 – 1:00 PM (PST).
This webinar will be presented by: Marie-Josée Brouillette, MD Visiting Speaker, McGill University
Register online
Hybrid (in-person and remote via GoToWebinar)
A Prospective Incidence Study on Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV in Men Who Have Sex with Men with or without Use of Pre-Exposure-Prophylaxis
April 11, 2026 - Oxford Academic - Oxford University Press - Abstract
While pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can prevent HIV acquisition, associated behavioral changes may increase risk of acquiring other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The prospective, multicenter BRAHMS study enrolled HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) aged 18-55 reporting increased risk to acquire STI.
The Time to Talk about HIV is Now: ViiV Healthcare Launches “Still Here” PSA to Ignite Action Around HIV on National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
April 10, 2026 - DURHAM, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ViiV Healthcare - ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist HIV company majority owned by GSK, with Shionogi as a shareholder, today released “Still Here,” a social media video campaign designed to spark crucial conversations about HIV among young people. This launch coincides with National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and aims to confront the alarming reality that HIV remains a significant and often overlooked public health issue, especially among young people.
While great progress has been made in HIV prevention and care in the last 40 years, the data on young people and HIV remain concerning.
Gilead’ Commitment to Bridging the Unmet HIV Treatment Gap
April 8, 2026 - Gilead - Carla Bailey remembers the crushing weight of her daily routine after being diagnosed with HIV.
“I had 28 pills a day, every day,” Carla recalls. “I was sick every day and wanted to die.”
Carla was unable to maintain her normal life. She lost her job and lost hope as she struggled to achieve viral suppression, to control the virus at undetectable levels.
She was not alone in her initial struggle to achieve long-term HIV treatment success. Many strategies are necessary to overcome HIV, and it’s impossible to end the epidemic without bringing HIV treatment to all who need it.
After 25 Years, an Icon of the HIV Fight in the U.S. South Steps Away
Apr 8, 2026 - By Tim Murphy - TheBody - An Interview With Kathie Hiers of AIDS Alabama
Ask nearly anyone working in HIV/AIDS services for a list of the most influential people advocating for people living with HIV in the South, and they’ll likely include Kathie Hiers.
Read more...
HIV infections would rise 10% if federal funds for testing are cut
April 8, 2026 - By Maya Brownstein - Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health - If the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were to reduce or eliminate funding for HIV testing at local health departments, cases would rise substantially, particularly in states with more rural HIV epidemics, according to a new study co-authored by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins University.
The study was published Feb. 4 in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Ruchita Balasubramanian, a PhD student in population health sciences, was a co-corresponding author. Bill Hanage, professor of epidemiology, was also a co-author.
Ryan White Funding Cuts Could Lead to Dramatic Rise in New HIV Cases
April 8, 2026 - By Liz Highleyman - POZ - Study predicts HIV incidence could rise by 73% over five years if federal funding for treatment and other services ends.
Cuts to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program could lead to more than 117,000 additional cases of HIV acquisition over the next five years, according to a modelling study presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2026). The researchers projected that eight states could see new infections more than double.
Melissa Schnure, PhD, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues used mathematical models of HIV transmission to estimate the increase in new HIV infections if Ryan White services were ended permanently or interrupted until the end of the Trump administration.
Read more...
13-Year-Old Ryan White Contracted HIV from a Blood Transfusion, Then Was Banned from School. Inside the Activist's Life and Death
April 8, 2026 - By Emily Blackwood - People - Indiana teen Ryan White was banned from school after he was diagnosed with AIDS in 1984
It’s been over three decades since Ryan White died of AIDS complications, and the impact of his advocacy continues to resonate.
The unexpected poster child of the disease was diagnosed in 1984 when he was only 13 years old. Because he contracted HIV from a contaminated blood transfusion, his diagnosis challenged many misconceptions about the disease during a time when fear was prevalent.
Read more...
(HIV) Infections (AIDS) Global Clinical Trials Market Review 2026: Region, Country (G7 & E7), Trial Status, Trial Phase, Sponsor Type and End Point Status 2023-2033
Dublin, April 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ResearchAndMarkets.com - The report identifies key market opportunities by revealing trends in global HIV clinical trials, highlighting trial hot spots, analyzing trial phases and statuses, and showcasing prominent drugs. It aids strategic business planning and investment by illustrating trial success rates and enrollment patterns across regions.
The “Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infections (AIDS) - Global Clinical Trials Review, 2026” clinical trials has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.
This report provides top line data relating to the clinical trials on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infections (AIDS). Report includes an overview of trial numbers and their average enrollment in top countries conducted across the globe. The report offers coverage of disease clinical trials by region, country (G7 & E7), phase, trial status, end points status and sponsor type.
HIV Infections Would Increase by 10% Average if CDC Funding for HIV Testing Ends, NIH-Funded Johns Hopkins Medicine Study Predicts
04/07/2026 - Johns Hopkins Medicine - Timely HIV diagnosis and treatment are critical to preventing transmission. To help make this happen, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides funding for HIV testing to local health departments and community organizations. In a new NIH-funded Johns Hopkins Medicine study, researchers used a computer model to quantify the effect of funding cuts for HIV testing. They estimate that HIV infections could increase an average of 10% in 18 U.S. states if this funding is interrupted or ended.
“The HIV epidemic has been going on for 40 years,” says study lead researcher Todd T. Fojo, M.D., M.H.S., associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “The United States has made tremendous progress over the years, with fewer people getting infected and better treatments for those who are infected. To enter a world where that suddenly reverses would be a big deal. Treating someone with HIV over a lifetime is expensive, so any HIV infection you can prevent saves a lot of money.”
More than 200 Organizations and Experts Call for an End to Trump’s Threats of War Crimes and Call for Accountability
April 7, 2026 - Washington Blade - We the undersigned human rights, humanitarian, civil liberties, faith-based and environmental organizations, think tanks and experts are deeply alarmed by President Trump”s threat regarding Iran that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if his demands are not met. Such language describes a grave atrocity if carried out. A threat to wipe out “a whole civilization” may amount to a threat of genocide. Genocide is a crime defined by the Genocide Convention and by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as committing one or more of several acts ”with intent to destroy in whole or in part a national, racial or religious groups as such.”.
LGBTQ groups condemn Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization
April 8, 2026 - By Michael K. Lavers - Washington Blade - Ceasefire announced less than two hours before Tuesday deadline
The Council for Global Equality is among the groups that condemned President Donald Trump on Tuesday over his latest threats against Iran.
Trump in a Truth Social post said “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Tehran did not reach an agreement with the U.S. by 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday..
Read more...
Top 5 stories on threats to the global HIV response from CROI 2026
7 April 2026 - By Roger Pebody - aidsmap - .The withdrawal of US funding for global HIV programmes was a defining theme at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2026) in Denver in February. Researchers and advocates grappled with both the immediate damage and the longer-term outlook. Here are five key stories from the conference.
Veteran activist Peter Staley delivered a sombre account of 2025 as an 'annus horribilis' for HIV science – and issued a call to arms. He described the dismantling of USAID, the freeze on PEPFAR funding, the cancellation of hundreds of research grants, and the appointment of an AIDS denialist as Secretary of Health as a co-ordinated assault on decades of progress. Staley was critical of scientists who had scrubbed words like 'equity' from their grant applications to avoid cancellation –"it looked like acquiescence" – but pointed to genuine resistance from US scientists and activists. Drawing a parallel with the bleakest period of the epidemic in the early 1990s, he argued that the pendulum would eventually swing back – but only if people fought for it.
Read more...
New Agreements for Funding Global HIV Program Miss the Mark
April 7, 2026 - amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research - A new amfAR report analyzes how the new Global Health MOUs fail to establish metrics to measure their success
Today, amfAR is releasing a report on the America First Global Health Strategy’s first set of seven publicly available Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda. The report, Unmeasurable and Unaccountable, dives into the metrics established in the MOUs to hold the PEPFAR program accountable to continued success in fighting the global HIV epidemic while gradually transitioning the program from U.S. taxpayer dollars to country-level ownership. .
JOINT PRESS RELEASE of the Royal Government of Cambodia and the United States of America on the Bilateral Health Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Data Sharing Agreement (DSA)
Phnom Penh - April 7, 2026 -By U.S. Mission Cambodia - U.S. Embassy in Cambodia - On 02 April 2026, His Excellency Senior Minister Chhieng Yanara, Second Vice-Chairman of the Council for Development of Cambodia, and His Excellency Prof. Chheang Ra, Minister of Health, signed a bilateral health Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and a Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) on behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia, with Chargéd’Affaires Bridgette L. Walker of the United States Embassy.
This five-year, $36 million MOU establishes a comprehensive framework to strengthen the bilateral health partnership, ultimately contributing to the public health and well-being of both the Cambodian and American people. Through the bilateral healthMOU, the United States will continue to cooperate with the Royal Government of Cambodia by supporting priority global health security programs in the joint fight against infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria. The DSA establishes protocols to ensure that health data collected and shared under the agreement is managed in accordance with the highest standards of privacy and data security.
WHO calls for action: “Together for health. Stand with science.” to mark World Health Day
April 8, 2026- World Health Organization (WHO) - The World Health Organization (WHO) today calls on people everywhere to renew their commitment to working together and supporting science as the twin engines driving better health, under the World Health Day 2026 theme: “Together for health. Stand with science.” The campaign marks the anniversary of WHO’s founding on 7 April 1948, launching a year-long public health campaign.
Human health has been profoundly transformed over the past century, largely due to scientific progress and international collaboration. The global maternal mortality rate has fallen by more than 40% since 2000, and deaths among children under five have been reduced by over 50%. Advances in technology, scientific knowledge and skills, and collaboration between different disciplines, sectors and countries continue to turn once-life-threatening health challenges – such as elevated blood pressure, cancer diagnoses or HIV infection – into manageable health issues, extending and improving lives worldwide.
Congress gave money for global HIV work. The Trump administration isn’t spending it
April 4, 2026 - By Gabrielle Emanuel, Jonathan Lambert, Fatma Tanis - NPR - Studying labor law is not why Dr. Caspian Chouraya went to medical school.
For more than two decades, he’s worked in HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. Now, he oversees HIV/AIDS programs in 12 African countries for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. But in recent months, Chouraya finds himself talking to legal advisors and burying himself in the law surrounding layoffs in various African countries.
Read more...
Fred Hutch researchers receive prestigious R01 awards
April 3, 2026 - By Sabrina Richards- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center - NIH-funded awards will support multi-year investigations into HIV reservoirs, biomarkers of vaccine efficacy and how PrEP influences antibody pharmacokinetics
Three Fred Hutch Cancer Center research groups recently received prestigious R01 awards from the National Institutes of Health. These multi-million-dollar grants provide up to five years of support for large, multi-year investigations with clear outcomes and high potential for public health benefit.
This crop of awards highlights the biostatistical chops in Fred Hutch's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, or VIDD. The scientists, who all received R01 funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will use biostatistical methods to explore questions ranging from the factors governing the reservoir of cells that harbor HIV long term, how pre-exposure prophylaxis may influence antibody clearance and what this means for vaccine efficacy, and how to use a vaccine’s immunogenicity to estimate its effectiveness.
Dangerous bacterial infection hits highest level seen in Canada in more than a decade
Apr 03, 2026 - By Lauren Pelley - CBC News - More than 150 cases of invasive meningococcal disease in 2025: CBC News analysis
Annual cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), a rare but dangerous bacterial infection, have hit the highest level seen in Canada in more than a decade.
This rapidly progressing illness is known for causing a host of serious complications, including meningitis — a swelling of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord — alongside bloodstream infection, sepsis, severe organ damage and even long-term disability or death.
Read more...
Exclusive: US upends global supply program for malaria and HIV amid warnings of gaps
NAIROBI/LONDON, April 3 (Reuters) - By Ammu Kannampilly and Jennifer Rigby - Reuters - The U.S. is upending the way it delivers medical supplies for diseases such as HIV and malaria to lower-income countries, according to seven sources and an internal email, risking a second dislocation of life-aving services in just over a year.
Read more...
Don Lemon and Sheryl Lee Ralph Among Black LGBTQ and HIV Leaders at 2026 Truth Awards
April 3, 2026 - By Trent Straube - POZ - “Check out Lalah Hathaway, Keith Green, Jenifer Lewis, Durand Bernarr and others at Better Brothers Los Angeles’ Truth Awards
Black LGBTQ leaders, including many HIV advocates, got their flowers and enjoyed a moment in the spotlight at the 12th Annual Truth Awards Weekend. The event is spearheaded by Better Brothers Los Angeles, a nonprofit honoring Black excellence in pop culture, arts and politics, that also awards scholarships to African American LGBTQ youth.
This year’s ceremony was presented with the DIVA Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Sheryl Lee Ralph (TV’s and Broadway’s Dreamgirls) to raise awareness about HIV.
Read more...
ADAP Crisis Threatens Access to Lifesaving HIV Care
April 2, 2026 - Jeffrey S. Crowley, Kirk Grisham - O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law - Georgetown University -
Read the Publication
This Quick Take warns that the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), a foundational part of the HIV care safety net, is under growing strain. It is a core part of the nation’s HIV care system and a critical last-resort source of access to lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART) for many living with HIV. But after years of increasing need for ADAP assistance in the face of flat funding, rising drug costs, Medicaid unwinding, and reduced insurance premium assistance, states are now facing serious budget pressure that threatens access to HIV medications and care. Some states are considering tighter eligibility rules, benefit reductions, or even waiting lists — all ways to deny access to clinically recommended ART to people who need it. Stable access to ART is essential not only for individual health and survival, but also for maintaining viral suppression and preventing new HIV transmissions.
AVAC Mourns the Death of Stephen Lewis
April 1, 2026 - AVAC - Mitchell Warren, Executive Director of AVAC, issued the following statement on the passing of Stephen Lewis:
Stephen Lewis was a politician and diplomat who deeply valued the essential role of communities in the HIV response. He was a very rare and impactful role model, and all of us at AVAC are deeply saddened by his passing.
Stephen Lewis leaves legacy of fighting AIDS pandemic
April 1, 2026 - THE CANADIAN PRESS - Experts say Stephen Lewis, who died at the age of 88, awakened the Canadian public’s consciousness to the HIV-AIDS pandemic raging in Africa.
Watch...
Stephen Lewis awakened Canadians to the HIV-AIDS pandemic raging in Africa: experts
TORONTO - April 1, 2026 - By The Canadian Press - CTV News - Stephen Lewis awakened the Canadian public’s consciousness to the HIV-AIDS pandemic raging in Africa and galvanized the political will to stop standing idle, experts said following his death Tuesday.
Read more...
|
