DATE/TIME: May 30, 2025, 8:30–10:00 EDT
REGISTER: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nsRkvRfcQl-hhMDuJLE0lw
Background
Long-acting therapies (LATs) hold transformative potential for infectious diseases elimination. Yet, access to recently approved LATs such as cabotegravir/rilpivirine for HIV treatment and Cabotegravir long-acting (CAB-LA) for PrEP is largely restricted to a select few in high-income countries, and even fewer people in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) only. To address current global inequities in access to LATs, the Unitaid-funded LONGEVITY consortium is developing LATs for HCV cure and TB prevention which will potentially be manufactured in high volumes and at lower prices for LMICs. These LATs will address the inconvenience associated with daily intake of tablets/pills over several months, reduce loss-to-follow-up, simplify and diversify end users’ treatment options thereby providing choice, and result in expanded access to care for these diseases.
Community engagement and community-centered research are critical to ensuring that this ongoing research and development meets the needs and preferences of people affected by these conditions. As part of meeting this goal, the LONGEVITY consortium conducted global surveys of potential end users of these long-acting therapies; healthcare providers; and policymakers to better understand their preferences and attitudes towards three long-acting modalities namely: injections, implants and microarray patches (MAPs), and explore challenges and opportunities for these long-acting treatment modalities.
Objectives
This webinar will provide a platform to learn about the findings from the Longevity HCV and TB end users and healthcare providers/policy makers surveys, and for community members, especially marginalized populations across the world, to engage with the researchers developing these LATs.
The webinar will also provide an opportunity for community members to engage on the survey findings and share perspectives on how some of the challenges relating to LATs identified in the survey can be addressed. The webinar will also foster cross-regional and cross-disease dialogue to shape equitable access strategies and identify actionable steps to address the advocacy, policy, and implementation challenges relating to these LATs.
Target Audience
- Community members and health advocates working on HCV, TB, and HIV, particularly those in low-income countries
- Healthcare providers, policymakers, researchers and other stakeholders working to promote access to global health technologies
- NGOs partners, funders, and media focused on infectious diseases and health equity
Facilitators:
Joelle Dountio Ofimboudem, Treatment Action Group
Jacque Wambui, Afrocab Treatment Access Partnership
Presenters:
- Gauri Khana, Monitoring & evalutation manager, Unitaid
- Adeniyi Olagunju, Senior lecturer, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology at University of Liverpool, UK
- Renae Furl, Clinical study coordinator at University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Marcia Vermeulen, Medical officer at the University of Cape Town
- Ketho Angami, Executive Director, Access to Rights and Knowledge Foundation, India
- Dorothy Onyango, CEO Women Fighting HIV and AIDS in Kenya