International Indigenous Pre-Conference on HIV & AIDS
Schedule
Fri, 24 Jul, 2026 at 07:30 am to Sat, 25 Jul, 2026 at 09:00 pm
UTC-03:00Location
Barra da Tijuca - Rio de Janeiro | Rio De Janeiro, RJ
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IIPCHA 2026: Our World. Our Ways. Our Vision.The 11th International Indigenous Pre-Conference on HIV & AIDS (IIPCHA 2026) will convene Indigenous leaders, knowledge holders, advocates, and allies on July 24–25, 2026, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, alongside the International AIDS Conference. This gathering exists for a simple but urgent reason: Indigenous peoples continue to be excluded from global HIV responses, while HIV remains marginalized within many Indigenous health spaces. The pre-conference is where those two worlds are intentionally brought together.
Why This Space Matters
For decades, mainstream HIV strategies have relied on Western scientific frameworks that rarely reflect Indigenous worldviews, governance systems, or lived realities. At the same time, Indigenous movements—already navigating land dispossession, violence, and chronic underfunding—often struggle to openly address HIV because of stigma and silence. IIPCHA confronts this divide head-on, creating an Indigenous-led space where HIV, culture, ceremony, science, and sovereignty can be discussed together, not separately.
Context in Brazil
Holding IIPCHA 2026 in Brazil brings both opportunity and complexity. Many Indigenous communities face constant crisis—extractive industries, broken treaties, and repeated exploitation—leading to understandable mistrust of outside initiatives. Concerns around free, prior, and informed consent, as well as limited awareness of the pre-conference within government ministries, have shaped engagement efforts. Importantly, IIPCHA is not Brazil specific; it follows the location of the International AIDS Conference while remaining globally focused and Indigenous-led.
An Indigenous Way of Working
IIPCHA operates on principles distinct from conventional global health meetings. Hierarchy is replaced by humility. Decisions are reached through consensus rather than narrow majority votes. The guiding principle—nothing about us without us—means Indigenous peoples determine their own priorities and identify their own key affected populations, including those often invisible in global HIV frameworks, such as youth facing sexual violence, people displaced by mining, and communities impacted by resource extraction corridors.
Central to the gathering is two eyed seeing: holding Indigenous science and Western science together in balance. Antiretroviral therapy saves lives, but so do language, ceremony, family, and connection to land. IIPCHA affirms that neither system alone is sufficient for Indigenous health and survival.
From Persistent Gaps to Strategic Action
Across regions, basic HIV information is still inaccessible to many Indigenous peoples—often available only in colonial languages and biomedical terms. Misconceptions persist that HIV is a death sentence, while newer prevention tools such as PrEP and treatment-as-prevention remain largely unknown. IIPCHA elevates culturally grounded approaches, including education rooted in Indigenous teachings and metaphors, proven to resonate where standard messaging fails.
Looking forward, IIPCHA 2026 marks a strategic evolution. Participants will work toward a five year Indigenous global health strategy (2026–2031) that expands the agenda beyond HIV to include tuberculosis, malaria, and sexually transmitted and blood borne infections, while aligning with global mechanisms such as the Global Fund—without surrendering community control. A major priority is advancing Indigenous controlled, disaggregated health data so communities can tell their own stories and shape their own responses.
Holding Space in a Shifting Global Landscape
As global HIV governance changes—most notably with the winding down of UNAIDS—Indigenous civil society faces shrinking protected spaces for advocacy. IIPCHA emphasizes the necessity of being present in global forums, from UN processes to high level meetings on ending AIDS by 2030. The message is clear: if Indigenous peoples are not at the table, decisions will continue to be made without them.
Looking Ahead
IIPCHA 2026 is not a side event; it is a strategic intervention grounded in Indigenous leadership, science, and vision. “Our World. Our Ways. Our Vision.” is more than a theme—it is a call to recentre Indigenous knowledge and authority in global health responses. Ending HIV, and advancing Indigenous health more broadly, will only be possible when Indigenous peoples define the path forward themselves.
Event Details
• Dates: July 24–25, 2026
• Location: Courtyard by Marriott Rio de Janeiro Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Where is it happening?
Barra da Tijuca - Rio de Janeiro, Barra da Tijuca,Rio de Janeiro,RJ,BrazilEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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