KEY POPULATION VOICES AT GLOBAL PLATFORMS: APCOM’s AIDS2024 Engagements and AIDS2026 Advocacy Priorities

APCOM launches its AIDS2024 Engagement Report, documenting its extensive contributions to the 25th International AIDS Conference held in Munich, Germany last 22-26 July 2024. The AIDS2024 Conference rallied behind a simple but urgent principle: Put People First.

#PutPeopleFirst: APCOM AIDS 2024 Engagement

APCOM Executive Director’s Engagement at AIDS 2024

Through this report, APCOM highlights its leadership across global platforms and dialogues in reinforcing the vital role of key population and community-led organisations in shaping the global HIV response. APCOM’s engagements across AIDS2024 demonstrate how Asia-Pacific communities are advancing those principles through lived expertise, regional leadership, and evidence-driven advocacy.

APCOM’s Key Engagements at AIDS2024

Across five major pre-conferences and multiple main conference sessions, APCOM elevated key population perspectives and community-led solutions from Asia-Pacific:

1. Global Trans Conference – Unite! Advocate! Thrive!

As part of the organising committee, APCOM helped shape a multi-year action plan on Health, Human Rights, and Movement Building, addressing gaps in global HIV strategies for trans and gender-diverse communities. 

2. LIVING 2024 – People Living with HIV Pre-Conference

APCOM contributed to intergenerational dialogues on the future of the HIV movement, bringing Asia-Pacific PLHIV experiences and supporting young activists to carry the movement forward.

3. International Chemsex Symposium (ICS2)

APCOM shared regional insights on chemsex, despite limited funding for this work. 

4. 4Key Populations & HIV Prevention Pre-Conference – Demand and Delivery

APCOM delivered a keynote emphasizing human rights, decriminalisation, and domestic investments for community-led HIV prevention. 

5. PrEP Choice Pre-Conference

APCOM engaged in global discussions on multi-method PrEP, including CAB-LA and dapivirine rings, and highlighted Asia-Pacific gaps in cost, availability, cultural acceptance, and equitable access.

6. STI Advocacy Pre-Conference

APCOM framed discussions on strengthening community mobilisation for STI advocacy and service delivery.

7. Main Conference Sessions

APCOM’s Executive Director, Midnight Poonkasetwattana, spoke at:

• 95-95-95 Targets Update, presenting community-led strategies to close testing and treatment gaps.
• Inequities Forever?, a high-level panel with Helen Clark and Dr. Tedros, calling for structural change beyond public health interventions.

Lessons from AIDS2024:
The value of key population presence at global platforms

Key populations are critical leaders in the fight against HIV as they possess deep knowledge on issues related to accessing healthcare services, addressing human rights violations and advocating for policy changes. Their lived expertise ensures that strategies reflect the daily challenges faced by MSM, transgender people, sex workers, people who use drugs, and other marginalised groups.

APCOM’s engagements throughout AIDS2024 demonstrate how key population leadership translates into impact. Key population-led interventions deliver better outcomes because they are grounded in community trust, and firsthand understanding of barriers to access. Yet the trend of shrinking funding and civic space across Asia-Pacific threatens progress. 

In this context, global platforms like AIDS2024 and the upcoming AIDS2026 become even more vital. These global platforms provide visibility, political leverage, and opportunities for key populations and their communities to shape global agendas, advocate for rights, and demand the investments needed to sustain and scale community-led responses.

---

Reflections from APCOM Staff
AIDS2024 Experiences

---

Community Engagement and Interviews

As part of our engagement at AIDS2024, we conducted interviews with participants to capture their reflections on the conference’s theme, “Put People First.” This theme highlights the importance of prioritizing individuals and communities in the global response to HIV/AIDS. In the following video, you will hear from attendees as they share their personal experiences at the conference and how this theme resonated with them. From community-led initiatives to innovative healthcare approaches, they reflect on the significance of centering people in all aspects of HIV prevention, care, and advocacy

---

Our Commitment to Raise Voices from Asia and the Pacific
at the International AIDS Conference 

APCOM has always had a presence at the International AIDS Conference since 2010, as we believe that key population communities from Asia and the Pacific play a crucial role in the AIDS response, in particular when it comes to prevention, community-led services, and innovative approaches. 

Crucially though, we want to raise issues on the prevention gap in the region, and that our epidemic remains outside the political support as it is concentrated on key populations.

---