Summary and Recommendations
The U=U Global Policy Roundtable was held in Meanjin/Brisbane on July 22, 2023, alongside the 12th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (IAS2023). The roundtable aimed to engage stakeholders including people living with HIV, civil society organisations, researchers, clinicians and policy makers, providing an opportunity to deliberate and collectively propose solutions related to the intersection of U=U research and policy. The event was hosted by ASHM Health and Prevention Access Campaign, and was followed by the launch of a special issue of the Sexual Health journal: “Global evidence, impact and implementation of U=U”.
The U=U Global Policy Roundtable included remarks from Bruce Richman, Founding Executive Director of Prevention Access Campaign, and Dr. Lara Vojnov, Diagnostics Advisor in the Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programme at the World Health Organization (WHO), and a keynote talk from Professor Kane Race, from the University of Sydney. Professor Race’s presentation, on “The Undetectable Crisis”, highlighted complexities surrounding the growing acceptance of U=U, the yet-to-be-realised benefits of the campaign and global grassroots movement, and the persistent barriers that hinder achieving viral suppression and undetectability, especially among historically marginalized and oppressed groups.
The session was then split into a “World Cafe” style format, with facilitators leading small group discussions on the following six questions:
- What are the existing research gaps related to U=U?
- What are some of the policy, monitoring and evaluation principles that support U=U?
- What barriers exist to advancing U=U research priorities?
- What are some success stories and general guidance in getting policy change to support U=U?
- How can research related to U=U be further mobilised to meet the goals of the U=U campaign and diverse communities of people living with HIV?
- What are the most effective approaches and tools to influence policymakers in various policy contexts?
This report summarises the discussions that took place on the day, identifying key themes and recommendations.
