Devex: Unlocking HIV/AIDS financing during COVID-19
“The coronavirus pandemic is straining donor countries’ budgets and affecting other sources of revenue for low- and middle-income countries, raising questions on how programs for HIV/AIDS can be sustained. A number of high-income countries’ economies have been hit hard by the pandemic. Even if they maintain aid levels at 0.7% of their gross domestic product, total aid volume could be smaller as donors’ own revenue collection is reduced, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said last week during an AIDS 2020 preconference session. This can have a huge impact on low-income countries heavily reliant on foreign aid for their HIV response…” (Ravelo, 7/6).

Healio: Virtual AIDS 2020 meeting will highlight new data on HIV treatment, prevention
“[This] week’s AIDS 2020 conference will be held virtually because of safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. … The conference, which will be held from July 6 to July 10, will feature more than 600 virtual sessions and events. The International AIDS Society also will host a virtual COVID-19 conference featuring breaking research related to the pandemic…” (Dreisbach, 7/4).

San Francisco Chronicle: International AIDS Conference returns to SF, overshadowed by a new pandemic
“This week was to be a momentous occasion in Bay Area public health. The International AIDS Conference, the most important global gathering of AIDS scientists, doctors, activists and people living with HIV, was returning to San Francisco for the first time in 30 years. But in the shadow of a new pandemic, the conference will be a virtual affair. More than 20,000 attendees had been expected to descend upon the Bay Area for the five-day event, which will now be held online only, with one day devoted entirely to COVID-19 news and research…” (Allday, 7/5).

Science: The global AIDS meeting, the Woodstock of science gatherings, goes virtual amid COVID-19
“…Many talks will report on the intersection of HIV/AIDS and COVID-19. The last day of the meeting will morph into a conference devoted to the newer pandemic, opening with a talk from the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and closing with Bill Gates, whose foundation has long helped in the fight against infectious diseases. [Anton Pozniak, head of the International AIDS Society (IAS), which runs the mega-biannual meeting,] responded to questions about the reimagined conference from his London living room, which is where he will ‘attend’ from…” (Cohen, 7/2).