Equitable access. Empowerment. Community voices. Action.
VirusOFF, with the support of UNAIDS EECA, is launching the regional information and advocacy campaign “EECA Voices at AIDS 2026”, dedicated to HIV prevention, sustainability of services, the role of communities and the visibility of Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the global conversation on HIV.
The campaign is linked to AIDS 2026 and aims to make the priorities of the EECA region more visible in the global HIV response. At the centre of the campaign are people and organisations working every day to ensure that prevention, testing, treatment, support and the protection of rights remain accessible even in times of war, migration, and political uncertainty. Against the backdrop of international funding cuts, this is particularly important for EECA: according to the latest UNAIDS data, the region remains one of those where the HIV epidemic continues to grow.
This year, VirusOFF also serves as the official media partner of AIDS 2026, helping amplify the visibility of EECA community voices in the global conversation on HIV.
As part of the campaign, VirusOFF will prepare a series of informational videos, expert and activist interviews, and analytical materials. They will focus on three key themes: innovations in HIV prevention, sustainability of services and national responsibility, as well as the role of communities in ensuring real access to support.
A particular focus will be placed on the idea that HIV prevention must give people choice. This is not only about the availability of individual tools, but about real access to them: oral pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), testing, condoms, harm reduction programmes, digital navigation, telemedicine, long-acting prevention options and people-centred services that individuals can trust.
Sustainability of HIV services will be another important theme of the campaign. For a person, sustainability is not an abstract strategy, but a very practical question: will access to treatment, prevention, support, counselling or referral be available tomorrow? This is why national responsibility, domestic funding and the preservation of approaches based on trust and community participation are critically important for the region.
“EECA has something important to say to the global HIV response. Our region is living through war, migration, reduced funding and constant pressure on communities. But it is also here that we see strong examples of mutual support, innovation and services built on trust. It is important that these voices are heard not on the margins, but at the centre of the global discussion,” says Armen Aghajanov, co-founder and Board Member of VirusOFF.
The campaign will also highlight the role of communities as part of the infrastructure of access. In situations where stigma, discrimination, criminalisation or fear prevent people from seeking support, civil society organisations, peer counsellors, navigators and activists often become the first safe point of contact.
“Innovations in HIV prevention only make sense when they reach people. This requires not only new medicines or digital solutions, but also trust, sustainability, funding, community participation and political will. The EECA region must be visible in this conversation, because its experience shows that access is not only about services, but also about rights, safety and a person’s ability to seek support without fear,” emphasises Vera ILYENKOVA, UNAIDS Community Adviser.
Follow the campaign materials on the VirusOFF website: https://virusoff.info/en/category/aids-2026/
And on our social media channels:
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/virusoff.info.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/virusoff.info.