The 2024 HIV Cure Pre-Conference at AIDS 2024, held today, 21 July 2024, in Munich, was a pivotal event that brought together leading experts and researchers from around the globe to discuss the latest advancements, ongoing challenges, and the future direction of HIV cure research. This pre-conference served as a critical platform for sharing insights into the scientific, structural, and global coordination efforts needed to push forward the ambitious goal of achieving a functional or complete cure for HIV. Keynote Presentation by Deborah Persaud The event began with a powerful keynote address by Dr. Deborah Persaud, who is recognized for her groundbreaking work in pediatric HIV cure research. Dr Persaud provided a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of HIV cure research, particularly focusing on Latency-Reversing Agents (LRAs) in clinical trials. She presented a detailed systematic review that highlighted the need for meticulously designed studies to determine the precise ...

  As Botswana navigates through its 2024-2025 activity year, a concerning trend has emerged that threatens the backbone of our community health initiatives—significant cuts in funding for government-supported community HIV projects. These cuts are not merely fiscal adjustments; they represent a deepening crisis affecting the livelihoods of numerous community health workers and, critically, the stability of support networks for people living with HIV (PLHIV). The reduction in funding has led to widespread job losses across civil society organisations (CSOs) which have been instrumental in managing these community projects. What is particularly alarming is the disproportionate impact these cuts have had on PLHIV who are employed within these sectors. Despite the critical roles they play in peer-to-peer HIV services, such as adherence counselling, there seems to be no concerted effort to prioritise their employment or involve them in leadership roles within AIDS programmes. This overs...