The conference was full of interesting data –PrEP (and long acting injectables as a promising way to remove adherence from the equation), new data on ARVs, and lots of implementation science …like the use of economic incentives in patients very difficult to treat.
I have always loved the opening ceremony at CROI. If you missed it … Gerald H. Friedlander form Yale gave a stimulating talk about the environment (the soil), the virus (the seed) and the wind (social conditions) that drove the HIV epidemic (http://www.croiwebcasts.org/console/player/29436?mediaType=audio&).
He drew important parallel between HIV and TB. The session ended with Kenneth Cole (yes, the shoe designer) who said, among many things, that dressing well the crowd was going to be more difficult that curing HIV.
I was reminded again that HIV is a disease that affects the global community in many different ways and it is important to be reminded that we are part of a community—HIV is important not because of the profound research …but because of the people that live with it and its effects on human lives.
Ultimately, progress will depend on the contributions and partnerships with these affected communities to create greater political will and investment in line with their own identified health needs. And for me, this is the essence of GPP!
