UNAIDS is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Vadim Valentinovich Pokrovsky, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a leading expert on HIV, on 20 May 2026 at the age of 71. 

Vadim Valentinovich Pokrovsky’s name is inseparably linked with the response to HIV from its earliest days, and his leadership role in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HIV in Russia, across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and globally. 

Mr Pokrovsky diagnosed the first person living with HIV in the  Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), established the specialized laboratory that became the Federal Scientific and Clinical Center for Prevention and Control of AIDS, and long served as its head, pioneering Russia’s AIDS monitoring, testing and treatment strategies. He made enormous contributions to the creation of the network of HIV centres in the Russian Federation and other countries across the former Soviet Union. He also trained generations of epidemiologists and medical doctors working onAIDS in Russia and across the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region. 

He was an active voice in the Russian and international media, inspired thousands of students and journalists, and always highlighted important messages about HIV prevention, condom use, timely testing and HIV treatment, and the status of the HIV epidemic in the Russian Federation. 

Many people living with HIV in Russia and other countries owe their lives and their careers to him, and millions more are grateful for helping them avoid acquiring HIV. 

For many years, Mr Pokrovsky was a trusted partner, advocate, and friend of UNAIDS. We are deeply grateful for his tireless and sincere dedication, outstanding professionalism, and immense contribution to the global HIV response. 

He was a remarkable scientist, exceptional doctor, and a courageous advocate in the fight to end AIDS. 

UNAIDS extends its deepest condolences to Vadim Valentinovich’s family, colleagues, friends at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, and to the entire HIV community in Russia and across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. His loss is deeply felt by all those who knew him, worked with him, and were touched by his life’s work. 

Members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum have launched an Action Plan to End the HIV Epidemic (2026–2031). The plan was launched during a virtual high-level event that brought together representatives of governments, civil society organizations and international partners from across the APEC economies. 

According to the APEC HIV Project—a multistakeholder effort to accelerate progress towards ending the HIV epidemic across the Asia-Pacific region—an estimated 7 million people are living with HIV across APEC economies and 25% of new infections globally occur in APEC economies.  

While several countries are successfully approaching the 95–95–95 targets, progress remains uneven, and some continue to see rising HIV incidence. UNAIDS projections warn that, without accelerated scale-up of HIV prevention and treatment, Asia and the Pacific could see an estimated 320,000 new HIV infections annually by 2030. 

The Action Plan provides a practical roadmap to help countries strengthen political commitment, sustain financing, expand access to HIV prevention, testing and treatment, and remove barriers that continue to slow progress towards ending AIDS by 2030. 

Leonardo Chanqueo, Project Overseer of the APEC HIV Project and former head of Chile’s National HIV Programme, described the launch as “the beginning of a new phase of regional cooperation on HIV.” He stressed that while scientific tools to end AIDS already exist, many economies continue to face implementation gaps, stigma, financing challenges and legal barriers that limit access to HIV services. 

The Plan aims to address the key barriers slowing the HIV response, including declining political attention, unsustainable funding, legal and policy barriers, limited access to prevention, gaps in testing and care, delays in treatment and slow access to HIV innovations.  

The plan is built around six connected pillars, each focusing on an area where action is urgently needed. Each pillar explains the problem and suggests practical actions that governments and partners can adapt to their own context.  

Recommended actions include strengthening domestic HIV strategies and financing, reviewing laws and policies that limit access to services, expanding HIV prevention options such as PrEP, PEP and condoms, improving HIV data systems and training health workers to provide non-discriminatory, person-centred care. 

The Action Plan sets out shared targets, ways to measure progress, and recommended actions that countries can adapt to their own national contexts.   

“The challenge in ending AIDS is no longer technical. We have the tools. The challenge is sustaining the response amid fiscal pressures, health system transitions and competing priorities,” said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. “This Action Plan is more than a political signal that APEC economies remain committed to ending AIDS. It is a practical decision-making tool that gives governments and their partners a clear basis to prioritize HIV in national budgets and policy discussions, shift resources towards prevention and communities, and remove barriers that still limit access to services.” 

APEC, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, brings together 21 economies, including countries and territories such as China, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Chile, and several Southeast Asian economies to promote trade, investment, growth, and cooperation. In the HIV field, APEC supports cross-economy collaboration on prevention, testing, treatment access, health systems, stigma reduction, and policies that help protect vulnerable and mobile populations. 

Watch launch event:

UNAIDS is heading to 79th World Health Assembly (#WHA79) taking place in Geneva from 18-23 May.   

This year’s World Health Assembly comes at a critical moment for the global AIDS response. The world is closer than ever to ending AIDS as a public health threat, yet that progress is at dire risk of being lost amid converging crises, widespread volatility and deepening inequalities. 

The landscape of the HIV response has changed dramatically, marked by shifts in health and HIV-specific funding and the overall aid architecture, mounting fiscal pressures, and a backlash against human rights.  

At the same time, the emergence of innovations and technologies offer exciting new opportunities to end AIDS, but only if political will and sustainable investment are maintained.  

UNAIDS main messages at the 79th World Health Assembly: 

1. The HIV epidemic is not over and there is an urgent need for global solidarity to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030—no country can do it alone.
2. Ending AIDS is possible and a pathway exists through the Global AIDS Strategy 2026-2031 and through the upcoming United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS with the adoption of a powerful new Political Declaration on HIV.
3. Progress must not be lost and sustainability is key. Investments must be made in HIV prevention, treatment and community leadership. Shifts to country ownership must be supported responsibly and responses must be based on evidence, human rights and be people focused, leaving no one behind 

Side events co-hosted by UNAIDS at #WHA79

Saturday 16 May | 13:00 - 16:00 CEST

High-Level Ministerial Consultation on the Common African Position (CAP) to the High-Level Meeting on AIDS

Salle A, Building A, 1st Floor, WHO Headquarters
 
To strengthen Africa’s collective voice ahead of the 2026 UN High-Level Meeting on AIDS, the African Union Commission (AUC), with the support of UNAIDS, is leading the development of a Common African Position (CAP). The CAP will guide Africa’s negotiations on the 2026–2031 UN Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS and ensure that the continent’s priorities, ownership, and long-term development vision under Agenda 2063 are reflected in global commitments.

This ministerial consultation, convened on the margins of the World Health Assembly, will review and adopt the CAP following regional expert consultations.
 
Organizers: African Union Commission (AUC) with the support of UNAIDS

Tuesday 19 May | 08:30 - 10:30 CEST

One Vision, One Future: Shaping the Next Chapter of Health Financing in Africa  

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Geneva 

This dialogue aims to advance delivery on both the Accra RESET and the African Union Africa Leadership Meeting Declaration, leveraging all related initiatives, by addressing four interconnected questions:   

1. What does political leadership for health financing sovereignty require? 

2. What political, fiscal, and institutional realities constrain this leadership? 

3. What concrete actions can be taken now? 

4. How can continental accountability be strengthened? 

For onsite or virtual participation, please register here by Friday, 15 May, 18:00 CET.  

Organized by: the governments of Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain and Japan, the African Union Commission, the European Union Commission and the AfroChampions Initiative. Supported by WHO, UNAIDS, the Global Fund and AFHIA. 

Contact: Sandra Orcí Gutiérrez - sandra.orcigutierrez@theglobalfund.org  

Wednesday 20 May | 07:00 - 09:00 CEST

Creating a Shared Vision to Advance Triple Elimination of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B: Commitment or Complacency?  

UNAIDS Kofi A. Annan room, 20 Av Appia, 1211 Geneva

The World Health Assembly offers a decisive moment to energize global leadership and convert policy and funding commitments into accelerated action on triple elimination (Elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B). 

The high-level roundtable will review global and regional continental structures working on triple elimination and discuss how efforts can rapidly align.  

Organized by: The Business Council for International Understanding, UNAIDS, Abbott and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation 

Invitation only

Wednesday 20 May | 12:00-13:00 CEST

Inequality-Pandemic Leadership Dialogue

Kofi A. Annan Room, 20 Av Appia, 1211 Geneva 

Drawing on recommendations from the recently published Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics report Breaking the inequality-pandemic cycle: Building true health security in a global age, this conversation will seek to identify synergies among countries on inequalities and create opportunities for collaboration on a global policy agenda aimed at reducing the inequalities undermining health security globally.  

Organized by: UNAIDS and the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics 

Invitation only

Wednesday 20 May | 18:30 - 20:30 CEST 

The Value Collection 

Red Cross Museum, Av. de la Paix 17, 1202 Genève 

A curated immersive exhibition that illustrates the multi-faceted value of co-created, flexible service delivery models. Personal reflections, physical objects and video storyboards will concretize how community voice, healthcare innovation and multi-sectoral partnerships are enabling people-centered primary healthcare.  

Organized by: Harvard Medical School, International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations, UNAIDS and Roche 

All WHA delegates are welcome to attend the exhibition. Register here.  

How you can engage  

• Follow @UNAIDS 
• Follow all events at the World Health Assembly 
• Bring the dialogue to your local community and your local leaders 
• For more information please contact: communications@unaids.org   

Media contact

For media related questions please contact:
Sophie Barton-Knott
+41 79 514 68 96

Quotes

Civil society organisations play a critical role in the AIDS response, including facilitating access to HIV prevention and treatment services. The Medical Research Foundation (MRF), based in Trinidad & Tobago, is a perfect example of this. With 5,202 people in care, MRF serves more than 70% of all people living with HIV in the country and has the distinction of being the largest non-governmental HIV treatment and care clinic in the English-speaking Caribbean. It is also increasingly recognised as a model demonstrating excellence in HIV care and service delivery, grounded in strong clinical outcomes, robust data systems, and patient-centered innovation.

Through its coordinated and patient-centered approach to treatment and care, MRF is helping thousands of people living with HIV achieve improved health outcomes, including viral suppression and undetectable status.

At the end of June 2025, its treatment programme reflected strong performance across the continuum of care. Of 5,146 clients retained on treatment, 5,000 received a viral load test in the past 12 months—an extraordinary 97% coverage—and 4,733 were virally suppressed, achieving the global 95% target. By September 2025, there were 5,202 individuals receiving ART at MRF, of whom 4,822 (95%) achieved viral suppression and 4,107 (79%) were undetectable. These outcomes reflect the sustained impact of adherence support, treatment counselling, and continuous clinical follow-up.

Equally notable is the decline in treatment interruptions, a key measure of programme retention. Through community engagement, adherence support, and proactive follow-up strategies, interruptions steadily decreased from 446 to 246 between 2024 and 2025.

MRF credits its dedicated staff and partners, including the Ministry of Health and PEPFAR/CDC, for the success of its treatment and care programme. According to Nyla Lyons, MRF’s Technical and Scientific Director, “MRF’s success is a powerful reminder that coordinated partnerships, patient-focused interventions, and strong monitoring systems can achieve extraordinary health outcomes for people living with HIV. We are demonstrating how data-driven, patient-centred care can turn what was once a public health challenge into a story of hope, resilience, and success.”

These achievements highlight MRF’s critical role as a bridge between government services, civil society, and international partners, ensuring uninterrupted, high-quality care for people living with HIV. The combination of high viral suppression rates, sustained retention, and declining treatment interruptions underscores a model of care that is both effective and scalable. Sustaining and building on these gains will require continued investment, commitment, and innovation, which MRF is well-positioned to lead as it continues to demonstrate excellence in HIV care and service delivery in the Caribbean.

"MRF's partnership with the Ministry of Health is an example of the kinds of collaboration between government and civil society, including communities, that are essential for achieving and sustaining public health outcomes,” said Luisa Cabal, UNAIDs Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “The Global AIDS Strategy 2026-2031 endorses and places strong emphasis on the important role these partnerships play in the HIV response. UNAIDS commends MRF on the work they have been doing and their impressive achievements last year."

A new initiative launched by UNAIDS in Brazil uses the popularity of funk music among young people to promote HIV prevention. Called Cover It (Proibidão Protegidão in Brazilian Portuguese), the campaign uses colourful illustrations with messages about condom use and other HIV prevention methods that are displayed when a selected group of songs play on Spotify.  

The campaign was designed to reach young people, especially Gen Z, directly through their media consumption channels. Young people are both the prime listeners of Brazilian funk music as well as one of the groups most affected by HIV. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Health, young people aged between 15 to 29 accounted for 49% of all new HIV diagnosis in the country in 2024.  

These data are consistent with the results of a survey conducted by the Brazilian Statistic Institute in 2024, which showed that in Brazil the percentage of young people under the age of 18 who reported using condoms during sexual intercourse dropped from 73% in 2009 to 57% in 2024. 

Innovation in format: from entertainment to prevention 

The campaign uses Spotify Canvas—a tool featuring eight-second looping videos that accompany track playback—as a novel media space. Hits by artists such as MC Livinho, MC Mari, and MC Pikachu had their original visuals replaced with animations promoting condom use. Combined, these tracks reach approximately 300 million views on the platform, significantly increasing the potential to reach adolescents and young people. 

The choice of funk as an awareness platform reflects the genre’s massive reach among Gen Z. By occupying the visual space of “proibidão funk” (forbidden funk) tracks, UNAIDS introduces protection into a context where sexuality is already openly discussed, but access to information that promotes autonomy and informed prevention choices is often overlooked.  

“Adapting language and promoting HIV prevention communication based on autonomy and choice is part of the necessary shift toward an equitable HIV response that meets the specific needs of different groups—especially young people, who continue to be the most affected by new HIV infections,” says Thainá Kedzierski, UNAIDS Brazil Communication and Advocacy Officer. 

Some of the tracks featured in the campaign include “Flauta,” by MC Mari, “Lá no Meu Barraco,” by MC Pikachu and “Fazer Falta,” by MC Livinho. You can access the UNAIDS Brazil Spotify playlist here with the full list of songs and artists participating in the initiative. 

In Brazil,the Unified Health System (SUS) offers a range of HIV prevention methods including free access to PrEP, PEP, male and female condoms, lubricants, HIV self-testing, as well as antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV.  

Papua New Guinea has long relied on international funding for its HIV response. The island country north of Australia covers only 30% of its HIV spending, with the rest funded by international donors. As global HIV financing declines, critical gaps in HIV prevention, testing and treatment have crept in. 

A sustained rise in HIV infections — which have doubled since 2010 — combined with increasing strain on the health system and challenges linked to declining funding, led the Government of Papua New Guinea to declare a national HIV crisis in June 2025. 

This crisis is increasingly affecting women and children. In 2024, an estimated 2,700 infants acquired HIV—around seven each day—while women account for approximately 60% of adults living with HIV in the country. Only around one quarter of pregnant women living with HIV receive antiretroviral therapy to stay healthy and prevent transmission to their child. 

Declaring the crisis, Minister for Health Elias Kapavore described the situation as “deeply concerning” and pledged to mobilise urgent resources to protect “the next generation of Papua New Guineans”. 

This year, the Government of Papua New Guinea allocated an emergency fund of US$13.5 million (50 million Papua New Guinean kina) for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. The funding will support expanded prevention, increased access to testing and treatment, and strengthened services for pregnant women, children, adolescents and key populations. 

The National Executive Council under the leadership of Prime Minister James Marape approved the funds. 

“UNAIDS welcomes this important step towards a more sustainable AIDS response, while noting that further joint efforts are needed. We are working closely with the Government to implement the emergency response plan, scale up prevention and mobilise urgently needed resources,” said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. 

“Behind every number is someone like me—a mother, a woman trying her best,” said Blendi, who found out she was living with HIV three years ago. She had feared that she would not live to see her two children grow up. 

Despite being born with a physical disability and facing social stigma, she pursued her education, earned a degree and became the main breadwinner for her family. 

“I am very thankful,” she said. “The medication is there. The doctors are there. They helped me continue living for my children.” 

“This is a shared public health crisis that demands shared responsibility,” said Manoela Manova, UNAIDS Country Director in Papua New Guinea. “Sustaining services—especially for those most at risk—must remain a priority.” 

For families like Blendi’s, the stakes are clear. The systems that made her treatment possible were built over the years and must now be sustained. 

As a community health worker and HIV advocate, Blendi cannot imagine it any other way. 

UNAIDS is deeply saddened by the death of Stephen Lewis, an early and vocal champion of the AIDS response who passed away on 31 March 2026. UNAIDS expresses its sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

Stephen Lewis was a strong supporter of the AIDS response and showed great leadership and courage in speaking out against HIV-related stigma and discrimination in the early days of the epidemic.

Stephen Lewis’s work with the United Nations spanned more than two decades. He was the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa from June 2001 until the end of 2006 and later established the Stephen Lewis Foundation in 2003, which remains focused on community organizations working on HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. He also served as a Commissioner on the Global Commission on HIV & the Law. 

He was bold, compassionate and tireless in confronting HIV-related stigma and discrimination from the early days of the epidemic and his contribution to the AIDS response will not be forgotten. 

Stephen Lewis devoted his life to advocating and drawing attention to the AIDS crisis and calling on leaders and the public to respond. 

His leadership championed the welfare of people living with HIV and supported communities to be meaningfully involved in the HIV response. It is thanks to leaders such as Stephen Lewis that today more than 31 million people globally have access to HIV treatment. 

What Stephen Lewis said in April of 2004 still holds true today “Surely the increasingly realistic prospect of prolonging and saving the lives of millions of men, women and children will galvanize the international community and open the vaults of compassion. If ever there was a test of human solidarity, that test is now.” 

UNAIDS pays tribute to Mr Lewis's leadership and mourns the loss of a remarkable colleague and advocate. His legacy will live on through the work he advanced and the lives he impacted around the world.

Civil society organizations in Uzbekistan help deliver peer-to-peer outreach, HIV testing, awareness-raising and prevention. As external funding for HIV declines in the land-locked country in Central Asia, it now faces a critical task: ensuring that prevention and community-led services are sustained.

Community organizations provide support that is not always visible in the country. Over the years, their direct engagement with populations affected by HIV or at risk of HIV has shown that barriers to services exist.  Stigma, fear, limited awareness and existing policy constraints continue to prevent people from accessing testing, treatment and health care.

“Our added value lies in our grassroots experience,” said Sobir, a local representative of a community organization providing HIV services. “We know what the challenges are in the healthcare system and understand where the gaps are.”

He gave the example of self-testing kits. Despite being available online people still did not use them. “The government is working to expand access, but our role is to help ensure these services actually reach people and that they trust us.”

With an estimated 60,000 people living with HIV and a growing share of infections linked to sexual transmission, Uzbekistan ranks among the third highest epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Uzbekistan has made significant progress in expanding access to HIV testing and treatment and strengthening national ownership of its response. Most HIV treatment and diagnostic services are now financed through the state budget, and treatment is free and accessible to all people in need. But HIV prevention programmes and community outreach have so far relied heavily on external support, including from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. 

“Bridging this gap will be essential to maintaining progress and reducing new HIV infections,” said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia and Asia-Pacific. “Treatment alone will not end the epidemic. Strengthening prevention, supporting community-led services and addressing stigma are critical.” 

In his view with sustained investment in community-led services, strong partnerships, and a long-term commitment to programme sustainability, the country could well become the first in Central Asia to reach the 95–95–95 targets. The Government’s decision to strengthen cooperation with the non-governmental sector and national and local level resources have been encouraging signs. 

“We actively work with the Republican AIDS Center, the Ministry of Health and social protection,” said Sergey Uchayev, Head of Ishonch va Hayot, the ‘'Union of People Living with HIV in Uzbekistan’ network.” They involve us in developing policies, strategies, and plans. There is growing interest at different levels in working with us,” he said. 

At the same time, he echoed concerns raised by many civil society organizations about the absence of a functioning mechanism that allows government institutions like his to contract HIV services from community-based organizations.

“State budget allocations for HIV services require defined standards, budgeting frameworks, financing mechanisms, and strong transparency and accountability systems,” he said. “Without this, available resources from state and local budgets cannot yet be effectively channeled to community-led HIV services.”

The time to act is now. “With many of the key elements already in place, and while donor funding is still available, we should not miss this opportunity,” he added.

Such systems are already in place in Moldova, as well as in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. He believes UNAIDS and partners can play a critical role in bringing stakeholders together and facilitating this process.

In Tashkent, mid-March 2026, the United Nations in Uzbekistan convened the first Joint UN–Government Steering Committee meeting on the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2026–2030. The meeting discussed priority areas for joint action, including the sustainability of the HIV response.

As Uzbekistan undergoes rapid social and economic transformation, the public health sector is no exception.

UNAIDS is deeply saddened by the passing of His Excellency Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, a steadfast champion of dignity, inclusion, and the HIV response across the Pacific.

“Ratu Epeli Nailatikau played an important role in shaping the HIV response in the Pacific. His efforts to address stigma and promote community-led approaches have left a lasting impact on the region’s journey toward ending AIDS.” – Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS

As UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for the Pacific, and across his distinguished service as Speaker of Parliament and former President of Fiji, Ratu Epeli demonstrated a rare combination of leadership and humility, using his influence not for recognition, but in service of others, particularly the most vulnerable.

His commitment to HIV was deeply personal and unwavering. He stood publicly and consistently with communities affected by HIV, at a time when stigma and silence often prevailed. He used his voice to normalize open dialogue, challenge discrimination, and advocate for responses grounded in dignity and human rights.

Ratu Epeli’s contributions to the HIV response in Fiji and the Pacific were both visible and transformative. He played a pioneering role in convening regional leadership, including chairing a landmark meeting of Pacific Parliamentarians on HIV in 2004 in Fiji, helping to elevate political ownership of the response at an early stage. He championed legal and policy reforms that strengthened the enabling environment for HIV, including his leadership during the enactment of Fiji’s HIV/AIDS Act in 2011, which embedded a human rights-based approach to the national response. He also supported the removal of HIV-related travel restrictions, positioning Fiji as a leader in reducing discrimination and advancing equitable access to services.

Beyond policy, he was deeply engaged at the community level. He travelled across Fiji, including visiting schools, to speak directly with young people about HIV prevention, awareness, and responsibility, helping to shape a generation with greater understanding and openness. He also engaged directly with people living with HIV and key populations, lending his presence and voice to efforts aimed at breaking down stigma and strengthening community-led responses.

Ratu Epeli worked closely with UNAIDS over many years, not as a symbolic figure, but as an active and trusted partner. From global platforms, including addressing the United Nations High-Level Meeting on AIDS, to national and community engagements, he consistently called for bold action to end stigma and advance equitable access to prevention, treatment, and care.

He was more than an ambassador in title. He was a bridge between leadership and community, between policy and lived experience. His advocacy helped shape a more open, inclusive, and people-centred HIV response in Fiji and across the Pacific. Like the spirit of rugby he often invoked, he reminded us that ending AIDS requires teamwork, discipline, and collective responsibility, no one wins unless we move forward together.

UNAIDS extends its heartfelt condolences to his family, the people of Fiji, and communities across the Pacific whose lives he touched through his leadership and compassion.

His voice will be deeply missed, but his legacy will endure in the continued effort to end HIV and ensure that no one is left behind.

During the 2026 Carnival in Salvador de Bahia—one of the largest street festivals in Brazil, which gathered around 12 million people—UNAIDS, the Municipal Health Secretariat of Salvador, Bahia, and the non-governmental organization Motirô BA provided HIV information, testing and prevention services to its participants through the “Rolê da Prevenção” initiative.  

Rolê da Prevenção (which could be translated to English as Prevention Hangout) was carried out as a pilot in 2025 and following its success, it was incorporated by the city’s authorities as one of the 2026 official health activities of the Carnival. This represented a significant increase in the uptake of HIV testing and outreach. In total, 1.7 million male and female condoms were distributed and nearly 8,000 rapid HIV tests were performed—an increase of 68% compared to the same period previous year.  

According to Salvador’s Municipal Health Secretary, Rodrigo Alves, this initiative strengthens the city’s commitment to equity. “Rolê da Prevenção is an initiative that reaffirms our commitment to care, especially for the populations most vulnerable during Carnival. We are expanding access to testing, prevention supplies and quality information, bringing prevention closer to those who need it most. Our goal is to ensure that the celebration is also a space for care, protection and access to health services.” 

In 2025, UNAIDS conducted peer education trainings on combination HIV prevention, including capacity building on health equity and ways to respond to racism and LGBTphobia. This year, the same peer educators, financed by the local government through Motirô BA, offered rapid tests for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B and C along with qualified counselling and referrals for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). 

The outreach teams were composed of members of key populations—such as people from the LGBTQIA+ community and black communities—thereby strengthening connection, identification and trust with the public and increasing community engagement. 

All HIV prevention supplies (condoms, lubricants), diagnostic supplies (HIV testing and self-testing), and treatment supplies (care and specialized services) were provided free of charge to everyone by the Unified Health System (SUS), Brazil’s public health system. 

“The continuation of the Rolê da Prevenção initiative in 2026 reinforces the priorities of the Global AIDS Strategy 2026–2031, especially the request for national responses to meet people’s needs and to be inclusive and multisectoral,” said Andrea Boccardi Vidarte. “Being where people are is essential to effectively responding to HIV.”  

In the context of Salvador’s Carnival—internationally recognized for its scale and diversity—health, culture and rights move forward together, strengthening the local response to HIV and reaffirming that HIV prevention and celebration can and should go side by side.