Episode Description
Ben launches the first of six daily A Shot in the Arm Podcast episodes from AIDS 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, produced with the International AIDS Society and its Young Leaders program. He interviews two young leaders: Mengfei, a Hong Kong–based PhD researcher in health communication who studies how to translate HIV science on social media and promotes U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable), and Maggie Duncan from Vancouver, a PhD researcher focused on characterizing and improving quantification of the HIV reservoir to better measure cure strategies. They discuss why HIV is uniquely complex scientifically and socially, persistent stigma and lack of U=U awareness among young people in Asia Pacific, and Mengfei‘s U=U hand-dance campaign expanding from social media to offline events. Both present on Tuesday, with a U=U pop-up Wednesday in the Global Village.
00:00 Welcome to AIDS 2026
00:44 Meet the Young Leaders
01:07 Mengfei on Health Communication
03:26 U Equals U Explained
03:49 Maggie on HIV Reservoirs
06:41 What Makes HIV Unique
09:39 Stigma Across Generations
11:32 Talking HIV With Peers
15:50 Hand Dance U Equals U Campaign
21:30 Conference Plans and Wrap Up
23:16 Credits and Goodbye
AIDS 2026
https://www.iasociety.org/conferences/aids2026
Check Out Ben’s Substack:
https://substack.com/@benplumley1
Join the Conversation!
How do you see the future of global health unfolding? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Subscribe & Stay Updated:
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform. Watch on YouTube & subscribe for more in-depth global health.
#hivaids #HIV #AIDS #globalhealth
Proudly Supported by
