Humanity First at AIDS 2026, the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro

From AIDS 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, A Shot in the Arm Podcast hosts, Ben and Yvette, discuss why convening the global AIDS community still matters amid major financial challenges and shifts in U.S. aid. They emphasize “humanity first,” the need for African leadership, sovereignty in HIV financing, and learning how programs survived when aid decreased because “the community stayed.” They discuss remembering people lost due to changes in American aid and reject “America First” approaches in favor of multilateral collaboration. They also highlight scientific innovation and access issues, including once-monthly PrEP, once-weekly treatment, new combinations, and the importance of real choice to address treatment fatigue, along with growing interest in African manufacturing and policies like South Africa’s BEE requirements.

00:00 Welcome to Rio

00:53 Why This Conference Matters

01:42 Funding Sovereignty Debate

03:57 Resilience After Aid Cuts

05:43 New HIV Science Pipeline

07:31 Choice and Local Manufacturing

11:24 Rejecting America First

13:29 Community Power and Wrap Up

AIDS 2026, the 26th International AIDS Conference

https://www.iasociety.org/conferences/aids2026

APHA - Advocates for the Prevention of HIV in Africa

https://www.apha.org.za

Check Out Ben’s Substack:

https://substack.com/@benplumley1

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