The IAS Educational Fund organizes country and regional meetings that place the latest science presented at international conferences into local contexts. Since 2016, the Educational Fund has convened 50 meetings, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, for health and social service providers, researchers, policy makers and key community actors. Meet a participant and hear about how attending affected them personally and informed their work in the HIV response.
“This meeting underscored the value of partnership in addressing the complex challenges of HIV, ultimately contributing to more effective and sustainable solutions for affected communities.”
Mahnoor Ch, Director, Khawaja Sira Society (KSS), Pakistan
Meeting in Pakistan (2024)
Attending the IAS Educational Fund meeting was a meaningful experience that fostered crucial coordination among partners working on HIV, including communities, civil society, government and UN agencies. The meeting facilitated collaboration and knowledge sharing, emphasizing the importance of integrated service delivery to ensure accessible life-saving services. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, we were able to align our efforts and enhance our collective impact. This meeting underscored the value of partnership in addressing the complex challenges of HIV, ultimately contributing to more effective and sustainable solutions for affected communities. It was a productive step towards a unified response.
Since attending the meeting, our organization has strengthened its alliance with the government, particularly in Punjab, where we’ve initiated coordination meetings to enhance collaboration. We’ve successfully launched PrEP and PEP dissemination programmes in partnership with the government, resulting in more clients accessing life-saving treatments. These efforts have also enabled us to build sensitization and address stigma and discrimination, creating more conducive and accessible treatment centres for communities. This improved collaboration has been instrumental in driving positive change and increasing the impact of our HIV response initiatives.