Get to know the early-career African researchers who submitted the highest-scoring scientific abstracts to this year's INTEREST conference Patane Shilabye & Clark Brianwong explain why they study what they do + what’s next for them: bit.ly/4kY9Mzj

🎉Patane Shilabye (#SouthAfrica) & Clark Joshua Brianwong (#Uganda)🎉are the winners of the Joep Lange & Charles Boucher Awards for the highest-scoring abstracts by early-career African scientists! Selected from more than 1,700 abstracts, Patane and Clark presented their abstracts at the 19th INTEREST conference: 🔹“Pulse Wave Velocity as Cardiovascular Disease Risk Predictor in People Living with HIV” 🔹“Leveraging eCBSS Data for Geospatial Mapping of Hotspots and Optimizing the Integrated TB Case Finding (CAST+) Intervention in Eastern Uganda” After their presentations and responses to questions during the discussion period were rated, Clark and Patane came out tops. Congratulations!

2️⃣Factors Associated with Recent Physical Violence among Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in #Namibia Adolescents aged 15–19 years were at higher risk of experiencing violence compared to younger children aged 10–14. Children with disabilities reported lower levels of abuse, possibly due to reduced physical interaction or challenges in reporting. Additionally, children with caregivers living with HIV were less likely to report experiences of violence.

The results identify five major themes that prevent adolescents & young people (AYP) from accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and HIV services: 1️⃣Socio-cultural and religious influences – This includes healthcare worker stigma, myths and misconceptions about SRH, and reliance on religious beliefs or traditional medicine. 2️⃣Interpersonal-level barriers – Threats of violence from partners deter young women from seeking care. 3️⃣Knowledge and awareness deficits – Many AYP don’t know where to find youth-friendly services or lack comprehensive SRH information. 4️⃣Structural challenges – These involve long distances to facilities, transport issues, service delays, and communication barriers (especially for those with hearing impairments). 5️⃣Behavioral and lifestyle factors – Alcohol and substance use contribute to risky sexual behavior and hinder the ability to negotiate safe sex.

Mini-Oral Abstract Presentations VI, chaired by Dr Wendy Spearman (@UCT_news) & Ndeshi Nashandi 1️⃣Using Photovoice as a Community-Based Participatory Research Tool to Inform Intervention Development for Young People’s Improved Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Southern Zambia 🔹Godfrey Muchanga (#Zambia) 2️⃣Factors Associated with Recent Physical Violence among Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Namibia: Findings from the Project HOPE Namibia OVC Program 🔹Hadrian Mangwana (#Namibia)

Take-home messages: 1️⃣CAB (cabotegravir) shows strong efficacy, but virological failure often results in cross-resistance to other integrase inhibitors (INI). 2️⃣Low drug levels are frequently observed at virological failure, although they are not an independent predictor. 3️⃣Viral fitness advantages may drive the emergence of resistance, particularly in subtype A6. 4️⃣The increase in incidence and spread of subtype A6 infections in Europe is concerning. 5️⃣While CAB resistance cases remain low, using CAB for both treatment and prevention may increase future risk, underscoring the need for systematic case reporting. ~ Dr Annemarie Wensing

Data from the ATHENA cohort, which included 585 individuals on injectable therapy, showed a high virologic failure rate of 9%. Notably, more than 105 people initiated on cabotegravir/rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) did not meet eligibility criteria due to prior drug resistance or previous exposure. ~ Dr Annemarie Wensing

CAB failure rate in clinical trials is extremely low: 1.6 – 2.1% Lower incidence with CAB-LA, but the proportion of breakthrough infections that are resistant is higher in men/trans women ~ Dr Annemarie Wensing

"There's tons of work ahead, particularly when our biggest donor suddenly pulled the rug from underneath us. It's an exciting time, but it's a very complicated time – and it's going to be a tragic time if we don't take the new innovations and technologies into the rightful place, simply because we don't have the funding or the drive or the creativity that we require at this political moment." ~ @FrancoisVenter3

Lenacapavir is a capsid inhibitor that can be administered through multiple routes. It is well tolerated, has a relatively high barrier to resistance & is approved for use in individuals with extensive treatment experience.~ @FrancoisVenter3

Currently, there are only three long-acting injectable formulations available–cabotegravir, rilpivirine, and lenacapavir–each developed by different pharmaceutical companies and governed by distinct global access and regulatory mandates. ~ @FrancoisVenter3

We need to broaden our focus to include diverse populations often overlooked in research and service delivery – such as people with tuberculosis, lactating mothers, individuals with varying body mass index (BMI), those on concurrent medications, and people who use & inject drugs. ~ Dr Linda-Gail Bekker

"We need to get #PrEP to 25 million people to significantly reduce new #HIV infections," says Dr Linda-Gail Bekker (@DTHF_SA | @UCT_news)

What improves access to new technologies 1️⃣Political Will & Leadership – Commitment from governments is crucial. 2️⃣Innovation – Driven by industry, academia & sponsors. 3️⃣Solid Evidence – From researchers, sponsors & manufacturers. 4️⃣Policy & Recommendations – Developed by normative agencies and professional societies. 5️⃣Implementation Science – Acts as a bridge to scale innovations (involving funders, academics & government). 6️⃣User-Friendliness – Technologies must be accessible, safe, and convenient for users and the health system. 7️⃣Regulatory Approvals – Must be granted by regulatory bodies. 8️⃣Cost & Affordability – Influenced by manufacturers, donors, and governments. 9️⃣Demand Generation – Created by benefactors, users, communities, and civil society. ~ Dr Linda-Gail Bekker

There was once a widespread belief that adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) would not be possible across the African continent. However, Africa has demonstrated remarkable success, exemplified by innovative task-shifting models—from doctors to nurses and even to lay health workers—enabling expanded access and sustained ART delivery. ~ Dr Linda-Gail Bekker

Session 1️⃣6️⃣– Intersection of #HIV Prevention and Treatment, chaired by Dr Nyaradzo Mgodi (@UZCTRC) & Prof Nicholas Paton (@NUSingapore) Speaker 1: Dr Linda-Gail Bekker (@DTHF_SA | @UCT_news), “Improving Access to New Prevention Technologies” Speaker 2: Dr @FrancoisVenter3 (@ezintsha), “Update on Long-Acting #ART for #PrEP & Treatment” Speaker 3: Dr Annemarie Wensing (@UMCU_Intl), “Failure of Long-Acting Agents”