The 24th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2022), 29 July-2 August 2022, Montreal, Canada and virtually

Project Summary The advances in HIV science across the past 40 years have been remarkable, with near normal life expectancy for persons on antiviral therapy and ever widening access to prevention, treatment and care. However, we do not have an effective HIV vaccine or a cure for the 37 million people living with HIV infection worldwide. The June 2021 United Nations Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS sets new targets and offers welcome clarity on the breadth of policy interventions and resource investments required to meet these objectives. But these will only become a reality if evidence informs policy and scientific innovation continues to provide ever better solutions to remaining biomedical, socio-behavioral and implementation challenges. A global convening bringing together scientists, clinicians, affected community leadership, implementers, donors, and political leaders is thus urgently needed to critically define future research agendas, shift new evidence to action and chart a new consensus on achieving the still elusive goal of pandemic control of HIV. The theme of AIDS 2022, "Re-engage & follow the science" epitomizes this urgency. Recognizing that uneven rollout of COVID-19 vaccines will likely prevent many key stakeholders particularly from countries with a high burden of HIV from travelling internationally, AIDS 2022 will be a fully hybrid conference (29 July-2 August 2022). In addition to the virtual conference platform, Montreal will provide a compelling venue for AIDS 2022 as a leading center of HIV science, with a view to the progressive Canadian policy environment for those at risk and in recognition of Canadian leadership in global cooperation to address the epidemic. Specific aims for AIDS 2022 are to: 1. Accelerate scientific discovery to drive innovation across the HIV prevention and treatment cascades, including pathogenesis, transmission, vaccines, remission and a functional cure; long-acting oral and injectable treatment and prevention technologies, including rings for prevention; integrated and differentiated models of care; and analyses of structural and economic determinants of health. 2. Accelerate updates to treatment guidance especially for low and middle-income countries, infected children and persons with HIV, TB, viral hepatitis and COVID-19 infection. 3. Facilitate the adaptation of innovations from the response to COVID-19 across science, policy and practice and consolidating good practice for pandemic preparedness, and immunization efforts including new partnerships between public and private stakeholders and learnings from adaptations from the HIV response that accelerated the response to COVID-19. 4. Advance core components of implementation science research that address the challenges and opportunities of integration across a range of epidemic settings and in the COVID-19 era, including findings from community-led research, monitoring and innovations in service delivery, including telemedicine. 5. Address HIV vulnerability and determinants of disease progression among key and marginalized populations, including novel interventions and implementation science to reduce stigma and discrimination, including intersectional stigmas of HIV, homophobia, transphobia, and ethnic and racial disparities, including those among indigenous/first nation communities and impact of criminalization of behaviours including same- sex relationships, illicit drug use, and sex work. 6. Draw attention to enduring gaps in the HIV response, such as areas where greater investment is needed in research and person-centered service delivery, and where the needs of communities remain neglected. The scientific program will consist of six tracks: Track A/Basic and Translational Research; Track B/Clinical Research; Track C/Epidemiology and Prevention Science; Track D/Social and Behavioral Research; Track E/ Implementation Research, Economics, Systems and Synergies with other Health and Development Sectors; and Track F/Political research, law, policy and human rights. While the scientific program of the conference is developed by international track committees that represent different disciplines and areas of science, cross- cutting aspects will be covered in plenary talks that also connect the scientific tracks with community and leadership perspectives. Additionally, bridging sessions are designed to cut across at least two of the scientific tracks to provide opportunities for multi-disciplinary, multi-perspective dialogues, often using interactive formats. The participation of young researchers, basic scientists and researchers in related fields such as non- communicable diseases will be strengthened by active solicitation of relevant science and the provision of specific financial support, in addition to remote-access options. Key science from the conference will be disseminated and discussed in regional contexts following AIDS 2022.