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The Duke CFAR Commemorates
World AIDS Day
December 1st, 2024
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Every year on December 1st, the world unites to commemorate World AIDS Day. This annual event serves as a reminder of the global struggle to end HIV-related stigma, an opportunity to honor those we have lost, and a rallying cry to continue working toward a day when HIV is no longer a public health threat.
In this newsletter, we offer a few ways you can recognize World AIDS Day this year:
- Support our D3C at their World AIDS Day commemoration this Friday, December 6th
- Organize your CFAR colleagues to volunteer in the community
- Attend a World AIDS Day or community-led event
- Listen to advocates (we provide some great links and resources!)
- Learn more about the intersection of human rights and HIV
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The UNAIDS theme for World AIDS Day 2024 is Take the rights path.
The world can end AIDS – if everyone’s rights are protected.
With human rights at the centre, with communities in the lead, the world can end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The substantial progress that has been made in the HIV response is directly linked to progress in protecting human rights. In turn, the progress made through the HIV response has galvanized broader progress in realizing the right to health and strengthening health systems.
But gaps in the realization of human rights for all are keeping the world from getting on the path that ends AIDS and are hurting public health, and now a surge in attacks on rights is threatening to undermine the progress that has been made.
Ending AIDS requires that we reach and engage everyone who is living with, at risk for or affected by HIV – especially including people who have been most excluded and marginalized. Gender equality is an essential element of an approach to AIDS that is grounded in human rights. Acceptance, respect and care are vital. Laws, policies and practices that punish, discriminate against or stigmatize people – because they are women or girls, or from key populations, or from other marginalized communities – obstruct access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care. So do laws, policies and practices that hinder the work of people who are providing vital HIV services for affected communities or who are advocating for reforms.
The upholding of everyone’s human rights is an essential underpinning of an effective HIV response. This World AIDS Day is a call to action to protect everyone’s health by protecting everyone’s rights. Leaders need to take the rights path.
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The Duke Collaborative Community Council (D3C) is the CFAR's fantastic group of community members in Durham and across North Carolina who are living with HIV or are passionately involved in supporting those living with HIV. They help provide input to our CFAR researchers on their projects, and they also plan and lead outreach events for the broader community. D3C members are our valued collaborators and subject matter experts. Their experience, perspective, and advocacy helps us to center human rights in our work.
Learn more about how you can schedule a consultation with the D3C for your research.
One of the best ways you can support the D3C and center those living with HIV this World AIDS Day is to join the D3C for their World AIDS Day commemoration on Friday, December 6, 2024. The evening will include talks, storytelling, and art from community advocates, CFAR researchers, and people affected by HIV. The event is free and will include food, community resources, and free HIV/STI testing.
Participating organizations include: Duke PrEP Clinic, North Carolina AIDS Action Network, LILA Latinx LGBTQI+ Initiative, Durham County Department of Public Health / Fast Track Cities, LGBTQ Center of Durham, Viiv Healthcare, North Carolina Central University RCMI Center for Health Disparities Research, Rainbow Collective for Change, and Community Health Coalition.
Friday, December 6, 2024, 6 - 8pm
St. Philip's Episcopal Church Parish Hall
403 E Main St, Durham, NC 27701
We encourage you to share this invitation with others, particularly any community collaborators. Friends, family, and loved ones welcome.
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If you have research recruitment materials, resources to share, or connections with community organizations that would like to table at the event, please contact Lizzy (elizabeth.knippler@duke.edu)
We hope you will take this opportunity to step out from behind the lab benches, computer screens, and patient charts to listen, support, create, and share in community.
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In honor of World AIDS Day, we invite you to join CFAR colleagues in a community volunteering effort through the month of December. By centering human rights and addressing the social determinants of health, we can create a stronger, more equitable community for all—especially individuals living with HIV. Whether through housing support, access to food, or promoting health resources, your time and energy can make an impact in addition to the important work you do as a researcher.
Consider organizing your colleagues to volunteer with a local organization, such as:
Let’s take this opportunity to stand together and show our commitment to community wellbeing. We encourage all CFAR labs and teams to identify an opportunity and participate together.
Please let us know if you:
- have a recommendation for another organization/volunteer opportunity
- are organizing a volunteer day and would like to extend an invite to other CFAR researchers
- have photos or information to share from your outing for our website and newsletter
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Attending World AIDS Day & Community Events | |
Collective Action: Sustain & Accelerate
Monday, December 2, 2024 | 6 - 8pm ET | NCCU - Durham, NC
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Learn more about the impact HIV and stigma continue to have on our communities.
- Panel discussion on stigma
- AIDS Memorial Quilt
- Free testing
North Carolina Central University, NCCU Student Center Event Hall
500 Nelson St, Durham, NC 27707
Free parking available adjacent to the student center. Door open at 5:30pm. Light refreshments will be served.
Registration is not required, but can help with planning for future events.
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NIH World AIDS Day Event 2024: Progress, Innovation, and Impact in HIV Research
Wednesday, December 4, 2024 | 11am - 12:30pm ET | Zoom
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Decades of investment across the research have led to incredible progress in HIV research:
- Recent transformational discoveries are changing how we address HIV prevention and treatment, including a new medication that prevents HIV transmission and the development of novel strategies to encourage HIV testing and treatment.
- Thanks to innovations in service delivery, scientists are identifying creative ways to ensure equitable access to effective interventions, particularly for individuals and communities disproportionately affected by HIV.
But many structural and social factors continue to impede access, reach, and adoption of effective prevention and treatment strategies. Considerable work remains if we are to reach the communities and people most in need across the United States and around the world. As we celebrate breakthroughs in HIV research, we must accelerate scientific progress and ensure that those with, and affected by, HIV have the chance to inform future studies, participate in research, and experience the life-changing impact of research innovations.
Join NIH for this live virtual event and public question and answer session.
Registration is required. Submit questions before the event to OARInfo@nih.gov, or during the event via the Zoom platform.
Register for the virtual event.
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UNC CFAR World AIDS Day Symposium
Friday, December 6, 2024 | 9am - 12:15pm ET | Chapel Hill, NC
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Join the UNC CFAR for their annual World AIDS Day Symposium, held in-person at the Bioinformatics Auditorium at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Agenda and speakers
9:15 - 9:30am | Welcome and Introduction
9:30 - 10:15am | Keynote: Global Women's Health in HIV: Key Lessons, Ongoing Challenges, and Hope for the Future - Wendee Wechsberg, PhD
10:15 - 10:45am | HIV Prevention - Purpose Trial - Joseph Enron, MD
10:45 - 11:00am | Break
11:00 - 12:20am | Strategies to Improve Engagement in HIV Prevention and Treatment in Mecklenburg County among People who use Substances - Felicia Browne, ScD
11:20 - 11:40am | Project EnSTEP: A Strategic Plan to Align Efforts to End HIV Among Cisgender Women in the South - Katryna McCoy, PhD
11:40am - 12:00pm | Assessing Recency of HIV Infection, Drug Resistance Mutations and Transmission Networks in North Carolina 2018-2024 - Shuntai Zhou, MD
12:00 - 12:15pm | Closing Remarks
RSVP for the symposium.
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Your Voice, Your Health: PEP, PrEP, and ART
Friday, December 6, 2024 | 12 - 1pm ET | Zoom
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Join this month's seminar from the RCMI Center for Health Disparities Research at North Carolina Central University:
Your Voice, Your Health: PEP, PrEP, and ART—How These HIV Treatment and Prevention Methods Impact Your Community and Research, taking place on December 6th, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.
Your Voice, Your Health is a virtual monthly learning series designed to advance health equity through community-engaged research. This session will feature a panel of experts discussing the vital roles of PEP , PrEP, and ART in HIV prevention and treatment. Panelists will share how these methods are improving access to care, advancing health equity, and impacting communities at large.
The goal of this session is to foster a deeper understanding of these HIV treatment and prevention methods and to encourage collaboration between the academic community, researchers, and those directly affected by these issues. We look forward to your participation and hope you can join this important conversation.
Register for the seminar.
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23rd Anniversary Celebration of El Centro's LGBTQ+ Program
Saturday, December 7, 2024 | 6:30 - 10pm ET | Chapel Hill, NC
El Centro Hispano’s LGBTQ+ Program will be celebrating its 23rd anniversary on December 7, 2024. This year’s theme, “80’s Disco Night,” celebrates the vibrant, inclusive spirit of our community and our decades of commitment to uplifting LGBTQ+ individuals within the Latinx community. The night will include lively drag performances and the presentation of the Frida Kahlo Award, which honors individuals and organizations that have made a meaningful impact on our work.
El Centro plays a critical role in supporting our LatinX population and patients living with HIV, providing culturally tailored resources, advocacy, and essential services. They offer vital support to help individuals understand and exercise their rights, ensuring access to care and fostering trust.
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Event Details
- Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024
- Time: Reception begins at 6:30 pm, and the event runs until approximately 10:00 pm.
- Location: United Church of Chapel Hill, 1321 M.L.K. Jr Blvd, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Theme
This year’s theme is “80’s Disco Night”! We encourage guests to dress in vibrant, retro-inspired outfits from the ‘80s. However, formal or semi-formal attire is also welcome.
Registration
Please use this link to register. Registration is important to help us with event logistics, as space is limited.
Donations
If you would like to support our mission, we invite you to consider making a donation. Contributions are entirely optional but greatly appreciated and help us continue our work in the community. You can make a donation here. Your generosity will allow us to both honor our past achievements and drive future initiatives that benefit LGBTQ+ Latinx individuals in our community.
Register for the celebration.
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HIV Cure Research Day Sneaker Ball
Friday, December 13, 2024 | 7 - 10pm ET | Raleigh, NC
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The Martin Delaney CARE Community Advisory Board is excited to invite you to a unique event that combines celebration, awareness, and community – the HIV Cure Research Day Sneaker Ball!
Join us on December 13, 2024, from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Estey Hall, Shaw University (118 E. South St, Raleigh, NC) for an evening full of food, fun, and fantastic sneakers. This event, presented by the Martin Delaney CARE Community Advisory Board, UNC’s HIV Cure Center, and Shaw University, aims to bring our community together to honor the strides made in HIV cure research and advocacy.
Event Highlights:
- Keynote Speaker: Marc Franke, one of only seven people in the world cured of HIV, will share his powerful story.
- Activities: Enjoy a night filled with music from our DJ, dancing, games, and a sneaker contest! Show off your best holiday attire and sneakers for a chance to win.
- Admission: Free with registration! Click here to sign up
Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate and connect with others who are passionate about the future of HIV cure research. We can’t wait to see you there!
Register for the event.
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Blind Angels, a series on HIV in the American South
A Courageous Studios production with Gilead Sciences, Blind Angels is a docuseries on HIV in the American South. This production honors the grassroots activists and organizations who are working to destigmatize and raise awareness of HIV in their own communities. Each episode spotlights a different activist as they work to bring HIV awareness, education, prevention, and care to their communities.
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The South is currently considered the epicenter of the HIV epidemic in the United States, comprising just over half of new HIV diagnoses in 2018. Many people in the South live in poverty and without health insurance—in fact, when compared with the rest of the country, the South had some of the highest rates of poverty and uninsured people, according to 2017 data. Additionally, people of color and other marginalized communities face even higher rates of HIV in this region, with Black and Hispanic/Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) and Black women bearing the brunt of the epidemic. Transgender people living in the South also face disproportionately high rates of new HIV diagnoses. The Blind Angels series explores the challenges faced by some of these communities—including Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee—and shines a light on the impact of courage, family, and love.
Blind Angels celebrates the people who are working every day in the American South to fight for access, education, and resources that can help end the HIV epidemic.
Watch Blind Angels.
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"Nothing About Us Without Us," keynote discussion from the CFAR retreat
At this year's CFAR retreat, D3C members shared their reflections and perspectives on what CFAR researchers can do to better communicate to and center people living with HIV in their research, how progress in HIV research has impacted their lives, and hopes for the future of research. A few quotes we love:
"It's important to understand everyone's learning style [is different]. I'm more of a visual learner, folks may like audio, folks may be more hands on... that's a great opportunity to connect in a different way and be innovative when you're trying to disseminate the information out."
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"Look at the people outside of the data points. Everything that you all do in here, every single role you play, is heart work. You would not be doing this if your heart wasn't in it. So get to know the people that your heart work is helping."
Watch this important conversation, "Nothing About Us Without Us."
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"Heart of the Matter - People living with HIV are crucial to clinical trials" in POZ Magazine
POZ Magazine featured an article on Alicia Diggs, the UNC CFAR’s Office of Community Engagement Manager. It’s a fantastic read about the importance of representative participation in clinical trials, the history of harm from the medical and research systems, and the duty of clinicians and researchers when conducting trials. A few quotes that stood out to us:
“It’s important that we—we, meaning women—are in these studies,” says Diggs. “Years ago, when HIV treatment started to come out, there weren’t many women in a lot of those clinical trials—[it was] predominantly just white men. Medications were being developed, but we were not in those studies, especially Black women. So we’re taking medications but aren’t sure how the side effects are going to affect us differently than our male counterparts.”
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“It’s really important that our voices are there so that we have input and changes can be made that are favorable for us,” Diggs says. “A lot of times I am encouraging my peers to at least understand research studies and get a little bit more information and talk to your physician, social worker or someone who is involved with these studies and trials to get more information.”
Read "Heart of the Matter."
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Community Engagement & Advocacy Resources
You can access these and more on our CFAR website under "Listen to Advocates," along with resources on local organizations, community-engaged research, communication, and advocacy. Also check out our summary document for language about community engagement at the Duke CFAR and a description of our consultation services with our team and the D3C.
Access resources on the CFAR website.
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Released for World AIDS Day, a new report by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) highlights the critical role of human rights in ending the AIDS pandemic as a public health threat by 2030. Titled “Take the rights path to end AIDS,” the report outlines how stigma, discrimination, and punitive laws hinder progress in the fight against HIV.
Despite significant advancements in HIV treatment and prevention, human rights violations continue to block access to essential services. In 2023, 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses, and 1.3 million people acquired HIV.
Marginalised communities, including women, girls, and LGBTQ+ individuals (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and others), remain disproportionately affected.
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Listen to an interview about the report with Dr. Angeli Achrekar of UNAIDS. | |
Further reading
From the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD): Stigma Topics: Modernization of HIV Laws and Policies
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Includes a video about the amendment of North Carolina’s HIV Control Measures in 2018, the result of a task force of people living with HIV, medical providers, and advocates
From Human Rights Campaign: How HIV Impacts LGBTQ+ People
- Includes a discussion of how discrimination and harmful legislation contribute to increased vulnerability to HIV
From Latinos in the South: Resources and Publications
- Includes a variety of resources and an option to sign up for their newsletter, a guide for those working to create an equitable health system for both Latinx people living with HIV and the medical personnel who serve them
From The Well Project: Why Race Matters: Women and HIV
- Includes a discussion of intersectionality and how discrimination and social inequalities lead to health disparities in HIV
From the Duke Global Health Institute: Can Global Health Regain a Human Rights Focus?
- Includes a discussion of the findings of the IAS-Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights, including a recording of a DGHI event on the topic
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