Join PATH at IAS 2023

Satellite session (SAT)015: Taking prevention to the next level: Packaging PrEP with primary health care services as a pathway to achieving HIV prevention and universal health coverage goals

When: Sunday, July 23; 11:30 AM–12:30 PM AEST (1:30 AM–2:30 AM UTC)

Where: Plaza Auditorium/Channel 4

To meet 2030 prevention goals, we need to make HIV prevention, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), more relevant and accessible to those who need it by moving toward sustainably packaging PrEP within comprehensive PHC. This session will spotlight real-world approaches to PrEP integration across service areas tailored for population groups; model what integrated PrEP services could look like, including for next-generation PrEP products; and strategize how stakeholders can collectively shepherd in this new frontier of integrated, client-responsive PrEP services.

Kimberly Green will co-chair and serve as a moderator for this session, sponsored by PATH, AVAC, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International AIDS Society, and Davina Canagasabey will share findings from research led by PATH, Friends of the Global Fight, and JSI on why integrated person-centered HIV and PHC is the key to getting us to UHC.

SAT018: Innovations in decentralized testing for an AIDS-free generation

When: Sunday, July 23; 11:30 AM–12:30 PM AEST (1:30 AM–2:30 AM UTC)

Where: Boulevard Auditorium/Channel 7

Ending the HIV epidemic has been a shared global priority for the last three decades, however, progress in reducing new infections has slowed significantly with approximately 1.5 million new HIV infections in 2021. A holistic approach for decentralized HIV detection and monitoring is needed. ST provides a private and accurate solution to reaching missed populations discreetly; the fourth-generation HIV point-of-care (POC) test sets a new standard in POC testing with dual accuracy that detects acute HIV infection and chronic HIV infection; and the POC viral load test optimizes HIV patient monitoring and advanced HIV care. This Abbott-sponsored session will showcase how these decentralized testing innovations have been deployed across contexts to enhance HIV clients’ experience across the care continuum.

Tham Tran will present results from PATH’s experience in Vietnam showing the high acceptability, feasibility, and accuracy of blood based HIVST.

SAT023: Self-testing to enhance HIV, hepatitis C, and COVID-19 diagnosis and integrated differentiated service delivery

When: Sunday, July 23; 1:00–2:30 PM AEST (3:00–4:30 AM UTC)

Where: M4/Channel 6

ST has already been implemented and evaluated in various countries for different populations and for multiple diseases (HIV, hepatitis C, and COVID-19). By leveraging existing evidence, the session aims to identify the next priorities for ST and capitalize on past experiences to effectively apply it in other disease areas and to respond to health emergencies. Global and national experts will share their insights on ST pipeline, policy development and adoption, tailoring ST services for specific populations, and offer reflections on different use cases. The session will also explore methods for monitoring and linking ST to national healthcare systems, as well as strategies for utilizing digital solutions and improving linkage to care.

This satellite session, organized by Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics and Clinton Health Access Initiative, will feature Kimberly Green presenting on the multiple roles ST plays to advance health equity from facilitating access to prevention and care services across multiple infectious and non-communicable diseases to self-care.

SAT026: What’s new in WHO guidelines: innovations, treatment, integration, and monitoring

When: Sunday, July 23; 3:00–4:30 PM AEST (5:00–6:30 AM UTC)

Where: Plaza Ballroom/Channel 3

This session will present new WHO guidelines and policy briefs focusing on innovations, integration, and person-centered response. This will include sharing a new policy brief on the role of HIV viral suppression in improving individual health and reducing transmission; new recommendations on HTLV1; innovations in advanced HIV disease; a new implementation module on HIV prevention that now combines oral PrEP, cabotegravir, and dapivirine; and a suite of new sexually transmitted infection diagnostic documents.

This satellite session, co-chaired by WHO and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, will feature Kimberly Green as a panelist.

SAT028: Self-testing for universal health coverage: Exploring market growth and evidence-based interventions for HIV, COVID-19, and hepatitis C

When: Sunday, July 23; 3:00–4:30 PM AEST (5:00–6:30 AM UTC)

Where: M3/Channel 5

ST has emerged as a powerful tool to increase access to integrated, differentiated, and decentralized health services, accelerating prevention, care, and treatment for various diseases, while also increasing health system resilience against COVID-19. This satellite symposium will focus on the levers for market growth for HIVST and how the evidence from supply and demand side interventions can be applied to other ST and self-care approaches in different disease areas. During this session, experts will present the latest results from research and implementation in 15 countries across three continents including HIV, COVID-19, and hepatitis C ST, and provide insights into the benefits of ST, including increased access to testing services, reduced stigma and discrimination, and improved linkage to care and treatment. Audience members will walk away with a better understanding of the role of ST in promoting UHC and improving health outcomes for all.

Emily Gerth-Guyette will present on our experiences and lessons with COVID-19 ST contact tracing in Brazil and Asha Hedge will be a panelist at this Unitaid and Population Services International chaired session.

SAT030: Preparing for the introduction of injectable cabotegravir for HIV prevention in Asia

When: Sunday, July 23; 3:00–4:30 PM AEST (5:00–6:30 AM UTC)

Where: Boulevard Auditorium/Channel 7

In July 2022, WHO issued guidelines recommending the use of injectable cabotegravir as PrEP (CAB PrEP) for HIV and PEPFAR’s 2023 guidance encourages countries to begin planning for its rollout. To expedite CAB PrEP's availability and optimize impact, community preferences and potential access barriers must be well understood and addressed collaboratively by all stakeholders. This session will review evidence from recent studies designed to inform CAB PrEP introduction in Asia; identify regional priorities for a CAB implementation science agenda; examine regional lessons from oral PrEP introduction and scale-up; highlight progress and lessons from preparing for CAB rollout in Africa; and introduce available policy and program planning tools and resources to help countries prepare for CAB rollout.

Dr. Thi Thu Huong Phan from the Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control will share highlights from their work with PATH to lead preparations for CAB PrEP introduction in Vietnam, in collaboration with PEPFAR stakeholders.

SAT035: Harnessing collective action to scale up person-centered mental health and HIV services for young people

When: Monday, July 24; 7:30 AM–8:30 AM AEST (9:30 PM–10:30 PM UTC)

Where: M4/Channel 6

This spotlight session aims to bring attention to the unique mental health and psychosocial challenges faced by young people living with and vulnerable to HIV acquisition and identify entry points for action. The session will highlight the current evidence base, as well as draw from implementation experience across the health system and communities through a panel discussion and open dialogue with the audience. Key questions to be addressed will include: What works and for whom? How do we demonstrate impact? How do we take pilot interventions to scale? What are the programmatic and financial barriers and enablers?

Davina Canagasabey will share out on PATH’s work to integrate maternal mental health and caregiver wellbeing counseling at DREAMS safe spaces for adolescents and young people in western Kenya.

SAT040: Person-centered approaches to address the health needs of people living with HIV and co-infections and co-morbidities

When: Monday, July 24; 6:30 PM–8:00 PM AEST (8:30 AM–10:00 AM UTC)

Where: M3/Channel 5

Despite advances made by health systems to improve the care of people living with HIV, a higher burden of multi­morbidity and poorer health-related quality of life are reported by many people living with HIV in comparison to people without HIV. Ensuring the best possible quality of life for those living with and affected by HIV by reducing HIV infections and related morbidity and mortality will only be possible through an integrated response to clients' health needs and preferences. Getting care right for people living with and affected by HIV requires a flexible healthcare system that allows people to decide on their degree of self-management. Featuring select publications from the Journal of the International AIDS Society special issue on person-centered care, this satellite session will highlight the latest evidence, promising practices, and reflections on the operationalization of person-centered care principles for HIV.

Davina Canagasabey will present highlights from our short report in this special issue, featuring PATH’s work to introduce a service quality feedback system to facilitate client-responsive HIV services in Haut Katanga province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Symposium (SY)14: Bridging the digital divide: Leveraging technology to achieve 95-95-95

When: Tuesday, July 25; 2:45–3:45 PM AEST (4:45–5:45 AM UTC)

Where: M3/Channel 5

While the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted HIV and other infectious diseases services globally, it also propelled to the forefront the potential of technology to delivery of healthcare. This session, moderated by Kimberly Green, will present digital interventions to improve access to HIV prevention and testing services, as well as the role of mHealth in the delivery of HIV care in low- and middle-income settings. It will also describe the role of novel machine learning/deep learning techniques to improve the efficiency of HIV service delivery with the use of precision analytics. At the end of this session, the audience will have a broad understanding on the use of mHealth and data analytics to improve the efficiency of HIV program implementation.

Oral abstract session (OAE02): Leveraging community and private-sector HIV self-testing distribution to improve access to HIV testing and treatment for adolescent girls and young women in Uganda
Session: The Power of People: Community based models to improve HIV outcomes

When: Tuesday, July 25; 2:45–3:45 PM AEST (4:45–5:45 AM UTC)

Where: Plaza Auditorium/Channel 4

Presenter: Justine Tumusiime

OAD04: “PrEP4U:” how edutainment, student outreach, and multisector engagement are helping youth in Vietnam access HIV prevention and sexual health care
Session: More than just oral PrEP: Innovative approaches for HIV prevention services

When: Tuesday, July 25; 4:00–5:00 PM AEST (6:00–7:00 AM UTC)

Where: Plaza Auditorium/Channel 4

Presenter: Tham Tran

TUPEE18: Mental health and pre-exposure prophylaxis service integration in Vietnam: An important opportunity to boost PrEP adherence, continuation, and service quality

When: Tuesday, July 25; 12:00–1:00 PM AEST (2:00–3:00 AM UTC)

Where: Poster Exhibition

Presenter: Kimberly Green

TUPEC07: Just how far off target are we? Measuring unmet pre-exposure prophylaxis need among men who have sex with men and transgender women in Asia

When: Tuesday, July 25; 12:00–1:00 PM AEST (2:00–3:00 AM UTC)

Where: Poster Exhibition

Presenter: Kimberly Green

EPE0873: Mobilizing Operation Triple Zero in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: using youth-driven programming, self-care, and virtual support communities to improve youth treatment continuity and viral suppression

Presenter: Davina Canagasabey

EPE0988: HIV Info 4.0: Initial results of the implementation of a national HIV case surveillance system in Vietnam

Presenter: Hai Son Vo

EPE1003: Using open health information exchange framework to develop Vietnam's national HIV case surveillance system architecture

Presenter: Hai Son Vo

EPE0985: Applying machine learning methods to improve quality of HIV people monitoring data in Vietnam

Presenter: Dat Pham

EPC0477: Innovations in HIV testing: Mobile HIV Testing Units in Mizoram

Presenter: Robert Lalrempuia

EPC0503: Health on Bike: Making HIV and health services accessible in hard-to-reach terrain

Presenter: Temjen Jamir

LBEPC28: District HIV epidemiological profiling using data integration in Andhra Pradesh, India: An evidence-based initiative of decentralized data use for epidemiological insights and strategic prioritization

Presenter: Upma Sharma

EPC0443: Youth friendly center for reaching the unreached people who inject drugs in Churachandpur district of Manipur​

Presenter: Ningombam Madan Singh

EPE0814: Preliminary learnings from TelePrEP – Vietnam’s first large-scale telehealth program

Presenter: Nga Ngo

EPE0961: Mental health morbidity among clients seeking pre-exposure prophylaxis, nonoccupational post-exposure prophylaxis, antiretroviral therapy services at two key population-led private clinics in Vietnam

Presenter: Nga Ngo

EPE0923:Growth and launch of the Glink Academy, Vietnam’s first HIV peer-to-peer learning and incubation initiative

Presenter: Tham Tran

EPD0587: Strengthening HIV prevention and sexual health among Vietnamese youth through an innovative public-private partnership

Presenter: Tham Tran

EPC0438: Don’t forget about PEP: HIV post-exposure prophylaxis uptake, characteristics, and linkages to prevention and treatment in Vietnam

Presenter: Kimberly Green