EACS 2025: Community Corner

Connect. Learn. Engage.

Curated by the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), the Community Corner at the 20th European AIDS Conference (#EACS2025) is a vibrant space for community-led storytelling, dialogue, and inspiration.

Located in the exhibition hall, it will be active during coffee, lunch, and networking breaks on 16–17 October 2025.

In collaboration with EACS, this year we are hosting a set of Flash Talks, the ‘Sustain and Thrive’ discussions on the sustainability of community organisations, and special sessions on Long-acting PrEP trials, a Patchwork of Names memorial and on the exhibition of children’s artworks from Ukraine hosted onsite. 

More than 20 inspiring community voices and HIV professionals are taking the stage this year!

Visit the Community Corner to listen, connect, reflect, and celebrate the power, resilience, and creativity of our communities.

New Format: Flash Talks

This year, we’re introducing Flash Talks, a fresh take on the previous formats. These are short, visual presentations designed to spark ideas and share lived experiences in a dynamic and inclusive way.

Focus: Visual storytelling, community voices, and thematic clusters (PrEP and women, lived experience working in community-based organisations)

This format allows for more flexibility and creativity while maintaining the energy and accessibility of previous years.

Discussions on the sustainability of community interventions

Alongside Flash Talks, the Community Corner will feature the section ‘Sustain & Thrive: Community Resilience in Challenging Times’. We invite community leaders and people working with communities to reflect on what works and the way forward.

Overview
As community organisations continue to confront shrinking financial support and constrained political space, sustaining their vital contributions to HIV advocacy becomes increasingly challenging. This two-day segment will assemble leaders from community organisations and multi-stakeholder initiatives to explore resilience strategies and collective impact in the face of uncertainty.

Why It Matters
Aligned with EATG’s longstanding commitment to community-led engagement and support, this segment aims to blend practical tools with shared inspiration, creating a space where community actors can strategise and galvanise together.

Programme

16 October 2025

10.20 – 10.50 Long-Acting PrEP clinical trials to come to Central and Eastern European countries – Testimonials from participants in France

This session brings together medical experts and community members who have participated in long-acting PrEP clinical trials in France. The discussion will highlight participants’ experiences, challenges, and perspectives on long-acting PrEP, offering valuable insights as similar trials prepare to launch across Central and Eastern Europe.

During the session, a short video of the Ask Us Europe survey will also be presented. Ask Us Europe is a new study that explores if and how new treatment options are being discussed with people living with HIV by their healthcare providers.

Moderators:

Jean-Michel Molina

Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University of Paris Cité and Department of Infectious Diseases, Hopital Saint-Louis and Lariboisière, Paris

Romuald Cruchet

Public Health Physician, Infectious Diseases Department, Saint-Antoine Hospital, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris

Testimonials from trial participants:

Arthur Poquillon

Hervé Piniau

Fabrice Vatan

attending trials at Saint Antoine and Saint Louis hospitals

Agenda:

Introduction to the trials

by Jean-Michel Molina and Romuald Cruchet

Panel discussion with trial participants

moderated by Romuald Cruchet

Ask Us Europe study (video)

12.05 – 13.00 Flash Talks

Flash Speakers: 

Axel Vanderperre (Belgium)

Founding president, UTOPIA_BXL

Founding member, iCOPe HIV International Coalition of Older People with HIV

Ageing Creatively with HIV: A Journey in Colours and Commitments

Steven Doyle (Ireland)

Member, EATG

Seeing Beyond the Diagnosis: The PLHIV Documentary

Muhammad Uzair Anjum (France)

Trainee Volunteer, AIDES

Turning Pain into Power

Q&A

13.05 – 14.00 Sustain & Thrive: Community Resilience in Challenging Times | “Resource Realities & Resilience”

In the face of shrinking financial and political space, how can community organisations adapt and survive? This panel invites leaders of community organisations in Europe to explore resource diversification, innovative partnerships, and creative outreach strategies to sustain community work.

Speakers:

Ferenc Bagyinszky

Executive Coordinator, AIDS Action Europe

Nicoletta Policek

Executive Director, EATG

15.45 – 16.05 Patchwork of Names: Together We Remember

The Patchwork des Noms association was founded in 1989 and became Les Ami.e.s du Patchwork des Noms in the early 2000s.
For many years, the association has been organising workshops to create patchworks in memory of people who have died of AIDS, and has participated in numerous events related to HIV/AIDS, including exhibitions, pride marches, etc. It draws public attention to the AIDS epidemic by creating and preserving patchworks dedicated to people who have died of AIDS, which are displayed in public spaces and accompanied by readings of names. It offers a symbolic space for loved ones to express their grief.

Speakers:

Jean-René Dedieu-Jourdain

with Philippe Formont

[French-speaking session]

17 October 2025

10.20 – 10.50 Dreams of children living with HIV in Ukraine amid the war

The project “Dreams of children living with HIV in Ukraine amid the war” was born from a simple yet heartfelt idea: to give a voice to those who are most often unheard.
During the full-scale war, many Ukrainian children living with HIV face not only the loss of their homes or parents but also stigma, medical challenges, and silence surrounding their diagnosis.Their drawings, stories, and letters reflect strength, hope, and the simple right to dream.

The initiative began in Ukraine in 2025 and quickly gained support from the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS). Its first expression is an art exhibition during the 20th European AIDS Conference in Paris.The main goal is to draw the attention of European opinion leaders in the field of HIV, as well as the international community, to the dignity and aspirations of these children. Key challenges include overcoming stigma, addressing medical needs, ensuring safe participation, and achieving long-term visibility beyond the conference.

Speakers:

Tetiana Melnyk

MD, PhD, postdoctoral Fellow at Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health | iPLESP; Sorbonne University – Inserm; U1136

The stages of the project

Myroslava Nikolaichuk

MD, PhD, founder of the project Miracle | Lead of the art initiative “Dreams of children living with HIV in Ukraine amid the war”

Selected artworks

Tetiana Melnyk and Myroslava Nikolaichuk

Q&A

The “Art Exhibition: Dreams of children living with HIV in Ukraine amid the war” is located on the Foyer Bordeaux (Level 3), next to the EACS Well-Being Lounge.

12.05 – 13.00 Flash Talks

Flash Session 1: Stories from the Frontlines: The Role of the Third Sector in HIV Care

This session will spotlight the essential role of the third sector in bridging gaps between healthcare systems and affected communities. These organisations often provide care, support, and advocacy where formal systems fall short, especially for underserved populations. Speakers share real-world examples of collaboration, highlighting what works, what’s challenging, and how these partnerships shape long-term care and improve quality of life for people living with HIV.

Flash Speakers:

Mario Cascio (Italy)

Co-Chair, HIV Outcomes

Co-Chair, NPS Italia APS

Nicoletta Policek (Scotland)

Co-Chair, HIV Outcomes UK

CO-Chair, UK CAB

Bogdan-Adrian Trandafir (Romania)

Steering Commmittee Member, HIV Outcomes Romania

UNOPA

Moderator:

Caroline Sabin

Co-Chair, HIV Outcomes

Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, University College London

Flash Session 2: Girls Just Wanna Have PrEP – The Gendered Realities of Accessing Prevention

Through the voices of community representatives, the session will share personal journeys in accessing and delivering PrEP and HIV services. Participants will share their experiences, helping to build a collective vision for community-driven, equitable prevention services. Special focus will be given to women and gender minorities navigating stigma, healthcare systems, and cross-border access barriers.

Flash Speakers:

Sophie Strachan (United Kingdom)

CEO, Sophia Forum

Samira Hakim (Netherlands)

Co-founder and Board Member, Trans United Europe

Charlie Cosner (France)

Board Member, European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance

Moderator:

Nicoletta Policek

Co-Chair, HIV Prevention Alliance

Executive Director, EATG

13.05 – 14.00 Sustain & Thrive: Community Resilience in Challenging Times | “Beyond the Budget Gap: Collective Advocacy & Collaboration”

Explore the power of unity in sustaining impact. HIV advocates and representatives of multi-stakeholder initiatives will discuss cross-sectoral coordination, joint advocacy, and how working together fuels both visibility and long-term sustainability.

 Speakers: 

Mario Cascio

Co-Chair, HIV Outcomes

Member, EATG

Luis Mendao

EATG representative, HIV Prevention Alliance

Member, EATG

Alina Pavel

Secretariat, HIV Prevention Alliance

Ines Marques

Secretariat, HIV Outcomes

Nicoletta Policek

Executive Director, EATG

 The official EACS 2025 Community Corner page

#EACS2025

#EATGatEACS2025

Community Corner EATG Executive Team

Apostolos Kalogiannis

Chiara Longhi