The expansion of prevention of mother-to-child transmission interventions has led to fewer infants being born with HIV but many children continue to go undiagnosed. Only 43% of all children living with HIV are accessing antiretroviral treatment and critical barriers to scaling up paediatric HIV treatment and care remain. Innovative testing, treatment and service delivery strategies are needed to simplify and expand paediatric services.

Guided by a world-class Scientific Technical and Advisory Committee of experts in paediatric and adolescent HIV, CIPHER works to promote and invest in targeted research to: address priority knowledge gaps in paediatric and adolescent HIV; convene stakeholders and establish collaborative mechanisms to strengthen communication, knowledge transfer and exchange of data and good practice between paediatric and adolescent HIV cohorts; and advocate to support evidence-informed clinical, policy and programmatic decision making for the paediatric and adolescent HIV response.

In 2018, CIPHER undertook a strategy review to ensure it remains effective in the changing landscape of paediatric and adolescent HIV, increased its focus on operational science and expanded CIPHER global cohort collaboration.

https://www.iasociety.org/CIPHER

Now, as ever, it is critical to acknowledge the diverse needs of people living with HIV. Differentiated service delivery (DSD) is a client-centred approach that simplifies and adapts HIV services across the cascade in ways that both serve the needs and expectations of people living with HIV and reduce unnecessary burdens on the health system. The IAS Differentiated Service Delivery initiative is committed to supporting the scale up of DSD through catalysing country and community advocacy and amplifying global best practices, tools and evidence to effectively reach the 37 million people worldwide in need of high-quality life-saving HIV care.

In 2018, the DSD initiative expanded its focus to HIV testing services and DSD for key populations, while continuing to work in the area of differentiated antiretroviral therapy delivery. In addition, the initiative supported uptake and adoption of national DSD policies and guidelines as well as community-driven demand creation for DSD.

https://www.iasociety.org/Differentiated-Service-Delivery

Among people living with HIV, morbidity and mortality is increasingly driven by co-infection with other diseases, including hepatitis C and tuberculosis, and co-morbidity with non-communicable diseases. Successfully addressing the challenge of co-infections and co-morbidities requires tackling the complexities of multiple public health concerns, including reaching vulnerable populations and expanding access to new diagnostics and curative medicines.

The IAS HIV Co-Infections and Co-Morbidities initiative focuses on several areas, notably paying particular attention to communities most affected by and service delivery needs related to HIV, such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, mental health and other non-communicable diseases or integration of sexual and reproductive services for people living with HIV.

Activities in 2018 focused on increasing the awareness of structural barriers that compromise the health and human rights of people who inject drugs and links between HIV and viral hepatitis. The work has also expanded to other co-infections and co-morbidities, such as TB, where the initiative has focused on fostering partnerships for future activities.

https://www.iasociety.org/Differentiated-Service-Delivery

The substantial gains made in the global HIV response in recent years have not been shared equally across all groups. Key populations – men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, sex workers and transgender people – are at increased vulnerability of acquiring HIV. Stigma, discrimination and violence increase the vulnerability of key populations to ill-health and create obstacles for accessing quality and comprehensive health and other services.

The Nobody Left Behind initiative gives prominence to the challenges faced by key populations and works towards removing barriers affecting their access to HIV prevention, treatment and care services.

In 2019, the Annual Letter sent to IAS Members in February launched a new campaign to get to the #HeartOfStigma. A series of campaign activities and partnership engagement has followed, building a strong foundation for the growth of the campaign throughout the year.

www.iasociety.org/nobody-left-behind

The toolbox of interventions in the HIV response has dramatically expanded since the discovery of the virus. A cure has remained beyond our grasp but research to develop a cure for HIV or long-term remission has made promising progress, spurring renewed excitement in the field among researchers, advocates and community members alike.

The mission of the Towards an HIV Cure initiative is to drive concerted efforts to accelerate global scientific research and engagement towards a cure for HIV.

Activities in 2018 focused on advancing the HIV cure field in resource-constrained settings through capacity-building and training workshops for researchers and advocates, informing and empowering a multi-disciplinary network of stakeholders to advocate for the prioritization of an HIV cure in the global health agenda.

www.iasociety.org/hivcure

Hosted by the IAS, the ATC is made up of a diverse group of stakeholders in the HIV response united to advocate for quality treatment and care for all adolescents living with HIV. The ATC is governed by a steering committee of organizations that are led by and serve young people. It provides a collective voice promoting accountability in the HIV response to the realities of adolescent lives. As part of its advocacy portfolio, it calls attention to gaps, proposes solutions and works collaboratively on a range of adolescent treatment issues.

Activities in 2018 focused on supporting a more coordinated and sustainable response by young people to the epidemic, strengthening the position of the ATC as a leading advocacy voice and responding to the increasing amount of requests the ATC receives to represent the voice of young people living with HIV through improved coordination and governance.

https://www.iasociety.org/Adolescent-HIV-Treatment-Coalition

The HIV vaccine field has built considerable momentum in recent times with multiple efficacy-stage programmes underway and new vaccine concepts in the clinical pipeline. The range of opportunities and possibilities is matched by an understanding and sense of urgency that the field is underprepared for complex challenges that remain. Under its newly launched strategic plan (2018-2023), the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise (known as the Enterprise) works in close collaboration with major HIV vaccine stakeholders towards ensuring that the field is sustained by a robust portfolio of vaccine candidates in clinical trials, is prepared for making a successful vaccine available to all and is propelled by increased and diversified funding for research and development.

In 2018, building on its convening power, the IAS brought together a range of stakeholders to support a strategic review of the work, aims and objectives of the Enterprise. These meetings led to the launch of the Enterprise Strategic Plan 2018-2023 which emphasizes the importance of fostering a collaborative research and development environment, preparing for imminent efficacy trial outcomes and the continuing need to advocate for adequate financial resources in the context of fast-changing HIV prevention and treatment.

https://www.iasociety.org/Global-HIV-Vaccine-Enterprise

The Me and My Healthcare Provider campaign, part of the Nobody Left Behind initiative, puts a spotlight on the frontline healthcare providers who address the HIV-related needs of key populations, often in the face of discriminatory laws, traditions and belief systems. Based on the personal experiences and stories shared by Healthcare Provider Champions, the campaign fosters a better understanding of the factors that enable healthcare practitioners to be #DoingTheRightThing.

In 2018, four healthcare providers (from Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malawi and Uganda) were recognized at the special session of AIDS 2018 by artist Conchita Wurst and The Honourable Edwin Cameron, Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. Their stories were published in the Quarterly Member’s email on 1 March 2019, Zero Discrimination Day, to urge other frontline healthcare providers to follow their best practice examples. Their stories are available at:

/HIV-Programmes/Campaigns/Me-and-My-Healthcare-Provider