At AFRAVIH 2026 in Lausanne, MPP actively contributed to discussions on the future of HIV prevention and treatment in French‑speaking low- and middle‑income countries, alongside Unitaid and a wide range of institutional, community and clinical partners. Two highlights marked this edition: the plenary session on long‑acting PrEP and the joint MPP–Unitaid symposium on access to HIV treatment options beyond TLD.
During the plenary session on 6 May 2026, Lobna Gaayeb, Head of Scientific and Medical Affairs at MPP, highlighted a central reality: scientific tools for HIV prevention have never been so advanced, but their impact will depend on the ability of health systems to deploy them effectively.
Long‑acting PrEP options are significantly expanding prevention choices, including the monthly dapivirine vaginal ring, injectable cabotegravir administered every two months, and six‑monthly injectable lenacapavir. By reducing dosing frequency, these technologies offer greater discretion and protection less dependent on daily adherence, with increasingly robust data for women, including pregnant and breastfeeding women.
The intervention also underscored that impact does not depend on molecules alone. Service delivery models, diagnostics, regulation, financing and demand creation are all critical levers. The central challenge remains the “last mile”: ensuring that innovation genuinely reaches the people who need it. MPP’s work, carried out with many partners, is firmly rooted in this approach to equitable and forward‑looking access.
Download Lobna Gaayeb’s presentation
Co‑organised by MPP and Unitaid, the symposium “More Choice, More Impact: Expanding Access to Recently Recommended HIV Treatment Options” brought together communities, clinicians, policymakers and funders to address a central challenge: translating WHO recommendations into real access to diversified HIV treatment options in French‑speaking countries.
The session was opened by Anne‑Claire Amprou, France’s Ambassador for Global Health and Chair of Unitaid’s Executive Board. She recalled that while the TLD regimen has profoundly transformed the HIV response, a broader range of therapeutic options is essential to respond to diverse clinical needs, patient preferences and health‑system realities. She also highlighted the complementary roles of Unitaid and MPP in bridging innovation, health policies and effective access to treatment.
Sébastien Morin, Senior Manager – Policy, Strategy and Market Access at MPP, presented a clear and factual overview of access to treatments other than TLD. While MPP’s voluntary licences already enable generic versions of some recently recommended options (TAF‑based regimens, oral DTG/3TC dual therapy), uptake remains at an early stage. The gap between theoretical availability and real‑world access remains significant, particularly in Francophone Africa, due to still‑high prices, low volumes and fragmented markets.
Moderated by Gelise McCullough (MPP), the panel brought together complementary perspectives:
In closing, Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid, called for joint mobilisation by countries, funders, communities and manufacturers to ensure that today’s recommended innovations truly benefit those who need them most. Discussions during this symposium set the tone for AFRAVIH 2026 as a whole: access to medicines and care does not happen by chance—it must be anticipated.
These contributions reflect the continued commitment of MPP and its partners to bridging innovation, public policy and equitable access to HIV treatment and prevention.
© Unitaid
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The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to and facilitate the development of innovative medicines and other health technologies for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders to prioritise and license needed health products and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations.
To date, MPP has signed agreements with 23 patent holders for 13 HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals, a tuberculosis treatment, a cancer treatment, four long-acting technologies, a post-partum haemorrhage medicine, one antiviral treatment for influenza, three oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and 16 COVID-19 technologies.
MPP was founded by Unitaid, which continues to be MPP’s main funder. MPP’s work on access to essential medicines is also funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Government of Canada and Coeffient Giving. MPP’s activities in technology transfer are undertaken with the financial support of the Japanese Government, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the German Agency for International Cooperation, the Government of Flanders and SDC.