amfAR The Foundation for AIDS Research

04/27/2026

Our CEO, Kyle Clifford, visited our TREAT Asia office in Bangkok, Thailand, earlier this month to connect with the team driving HIV treatment and prevention access and research across the Asia-Pacific region. TREAT Asia is a collaborative network of clinics, hospitals, and community partners responding to HIV through research, education, and policy advocacy. It links 21 adult and 18 pediatric clinical sites across 12 countries to strengthen health outcomes for people living with and at risk for HIV.

Check out these snapshots from his trip!

Learn more: www.amfar.org/treat-asia

04/24/2026

amfAR deeply mourns the passing of Asal Sayas, our beloved colleague, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. As Director of Government Affairs, Public Policy, at amfAR, Asal worked tirelessly to ensure that domestic and global HIV policy was not only based in scientific evidence but also centered the experiences of individuals most affected.

Before joining amfAR, Asal worked as a congressional aide in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Later she served as a Senior Advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she was part of the Health Outcomes Team and contributed to President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot. In that role, she managed to shine a light on cervical cancer domestically and globally, as well as the epidemic of young people diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

In the decade Asal worked at amfAR, she believed that meaningful change in the HIV epidemic comes from people working together to dismantle barriers to HIV care and address historic and systemic inequalities that continue to disproportionately affect underserved communities. In her honor, we will continue to work together to carry on her legacy. Her absence will be felt by many.

Our hearts go out to her loved ones.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/asal-sayas-307ab916a/

04/24/2026

If you have HIV and another STI, you are more likely to transmit the virus through s*x. An HIV-negative person with another STI is at least two to five times more likely to get HIV through s*xual contact than someone without an STI. STIs that create breaks in the skin or mucous membranes, for example, make it easier for HIV to enter or exit the body.

Also, STIs that cause inflammation in the ge***al tract attract immune cells for HIV to target, increasing the risk of getting HIV.

Learn more at amfar.org.

04/23/2026

This just in! Honey Dijon will be bringing her signature blend of house, disco, and techno to the DJ booth for next month’s after party.

Although now London-based, Honey Dijon draws on the club culture she explored during her formative years in Chicago and New York, and has become a defining force in global dance music, seamlessly bridging underground culture to the world’s most prestigious stages. Having collaborated with and remixed for icons including Beyoncé, Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Dua Lipa—while also shaping the sound of leading fashion houses like Louis Vuitton and Dior—she continues to push boundaries with fearless creativity and joy.

We can’t wait to see you on the dance floor, Honey Dijon.

Learn more about and how to join us here: https://www.amfar.org/events/amfar-gala-cannes-2026/

04/22/2026

amfAR analysis of new data from PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, showed a 33% drop in access to PrEP services and a 23% drop in new initiations of HIV medication in 2025. In particular, hundreds of thousands of people we'd expect to see starting treatment have simply gone missing, due to disruptions in service delivery last year. About 24% of the frontline health care workers are no longer performing the work they used to do.
The result: missing new diagnoses and failing to prevent new infections that will lead to an eventual resurgence of HIV.

The Trump administration has released new data on the country's HIV/AIDS work abroad. It is claiming the numbers are good news, but many HIV experts say they paint a worrisome picture.

04/21/2026

The countdown starts now. T - 1 month until we welcome this year’s guests onto the red carpet to support our lifesaving mission. Now is the time to secure your attendance at an unforgettable evening of fashion, music, philanthropy, and celebration on the French Riviera.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of it! Get your tickets now:
https://www.amfar.org/events/amfar-gala-cannes-2026/

04/20/2026

is right around the corner! Limited tickets available, so get yours now at the link in our bio ✨

04/18/2026

This National Transgender HIV Testing Day, we’re encouraging the community to prioritize what’s most important: their health. With today’s advancements, testing is quick, easy, and can deliver results in less than 20 minutes.
 
Swipe to learn how to get started, or visit https://www.amfar.org/about-hiv-aids/basic-facts-about-hiv-aids/  for more information.

04/17/2026

In the first 100 days under the leadership of our new CEO, Kyle Clifford, we’ve remained focused on what matters most: funding innovative lifesaving research and keeping hope alive in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

At a time when global progress against HIV/AIDS faces renewed challenges—from funding cuts to shifting priorities in science—we have chosen to lean in, not pull back.

Together, we have:
-Launched the amfAR Research Council (aRC)to help guide our investments across HIV, virology, immunology, neuroscience, and AI-enabled biomedical research.

-Awarded our first Horizon Grant to the groundbreaking HIV Atlas Study, which will empower researchers to build the first-ever comprehensive index of HIV reservoir cells.

-Delivered a data-driven policy report that outlines how the U.S. government’s new agreements for funding global HIV health services miss the mark.

-Expanded HIV treatment access-focused initiatives through TREAT Asia to make next generation long-acting injectables more available in a region where many types of HIV prevention and medicine are difficult for people to get.

These milestones reflect more than momentum—they represent our continued commitment to innovation and hard-nosed optimism.

As we mark this milestone, we remain confident in one thing: hope—powered by science and resilience—will prevail.

The work continues.

04/16/2026

IYKYK, was the place to be this month 👀

If you’re feeling fomo don’t worry, 2026 is just around the corner.

04/13/2026

Recent studies using mRNA technology and antibodies that recognize and fight off a wide range of different HIV strains have shown promise, but a vaccine to prevent HIV does not yet exist. Until a vaccine is available, other HIV prevention methods, such as practicing safer s*x, either through PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) or condoms, and using sterile syringes, are necessary.
 
Learn more about HIV prevention at amfar.org.

04/10/2026

Get ready, -- PinkPantheress just joined our lineup! The multi-platinum recording artist and songwriter scored her first GRAMMY nomination in 2025, and became the first woman and youngest person ever to receive the Producer of the Year honor at the BRIT Awards. And she’ll be lighting up our stage on May 21!

amfAR Gala Cannes isn’t just a benefit gala supporting lifesaving biomedical research, it’s the French Riviera’s most coveted invitation. This celebration brings together the world’s most influential guests for one unforgettable night with live performances by artists including Robbie Williams and Zara Larsson. Tickets almost sold out.

https://www.amfar.org/events/amfar-gala-cannes-2026/