Dolutegravir is a critically important antiretroviral medicine that is set to become the backbone of many countries HIV programmes. While the drug has recently made headlines because of a potential safety risk, most of what we know about the medicine indicates that it represents an important improvement over existing medicines, writes Maureen Milanga and Lotti Rutter from Health GAP.

An important new antiretroviral medicine will soon become available to people living with HIV in various Sub-Saharan African countries. Unfortunately, many women might be denied access to this new drug due to an inability of regulators and health departments to see potential risks associated with the drug in the proper context, write Maureen Milanga and Lotti Rutter from Health GAP.

Last month, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) finalized its Country Operational Plans (COPs) for 2018—with a formal signing ceremony on the plans that will direct U.S. funding for HIV in the next fiscal year, starting October 2018. Health GAP and other allies from around the world have been witnessing, interrogating, engaging, and pushing this process to ensure the 2018 COPs invest much more in the most urgent community-level HIV treatment and prevention priorities. Here is a round-up of some of the top takeaways and victories.

We made important progress in the COP18 meetings that was only possible because of years of investment in building a network of activists who trust each other, work closely together throughout the year, and are committed to building our collective power to deliver bold results for people living with HIV—driven by accountability and evidence, writes Health GAP.

The “People’s COP 2018” is released today by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), Positive Women’s Network, SECTION27 and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). This report outlines the key gaps in the national HIV and TB response and the community’s priorities for PEPFAR that have been identified after consultation.

This year’s PEPFAR COP process benefited from the most participation and effective advocacy we’ve ever seen. In this 3rd year of PEPFAR’s new open reviews, a coalition of groups has increasingly worked to build capacity and knowledge for engaging PEPFAR. As it becomes evident that we can make real, substantive changes that matter for communities, more groups are coming on board, writes Health GAP.

This week in Johannesburg, South Africa, MSMGF, Health GAP, and AVAC gathered 15 advocates from Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Uganda, Unites States, and Tanzania to prepare together to advocate for gay men and other men who have sex with men in their national HIV programs. This workshop came before PEPFAR Country and Regional Operational Plan review meetings where officials from 23 countries will review and finalize PEPFAR-supported programs that will be implemented next year.