As we close the chapter on 2025, I find myself reflecting on a year that tested us in ways we never anticipated, yet revealed the true strength of our community and the power of our collective resolve.

African women leaders and community advocates have issued a strong warning against any discussion or proposal to sunset the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), stressing that the AIDS epidemic remains far from over.

Four leading African women’s health and HIV prevention organisations have hailed a landmark 53% reduction in the price of the monthly dapivirine vaginal ring - now set at $5.90. This announcement was made at the 23rd International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2025) in Accra, Ghana.

At the recent TB Summit in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, public health leaders, community organisations, and government partners came together to reflect on South Africa’s progress in tackling TB and to confront the key barriers that remain. The Summit underscored the urgent need for approaches that address both the medical and social drivers of the epidemic.

The Global Black Gay Men Connect (GBGMC) and APHA applaud the landmark decision by the Government of South Africa and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) to approve Lenacapavir (LEN) - a twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention treatment. This makes South Africa the first country on the African continent to register this breakthrough technology. 

Advocates for the Prevention of HIV in Africa (APHA) applauds the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) for approving lenacapavir for HIV prevention. This milestone positions South Africa as a global leader in HIV prevention innovation and brings us significantly closer to ending the AIDS epidemic that has devastated our communities for over four decades.

In a powerful Member Blog  published on 1 August 2025, Johanna Ralston (World Obesity Federation) and Yvette Raphael (Advocates for the...

"When our leaders talk about integration, what do they really mean? It's hypocrisy when they tell us to use outpatient [clinics], when they know mobile clinics exist because of their criminalisation of our lives,” said Yvette Raphael, Executive Director of APHA, at the 13th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2025) in Kigali.

The Lancet HIV’s July 2025 editorial shines a spotlight on a groundbreaking development in the fight against HIV: the FDA approval of injectable lenacapavir for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This twice-yearly injectable, now approved for adults and adolescents over 35kg, represents a significant step forward in long-acting HIV prevention and offers hope for reaching populations previously left behind by traditional oral PrEP approaches.

At the 13th International AIDS Society Conference (IAS 2025) in Kigali, Rwanda, attendees voiced growing alarm over the devastating impact of U.S. federal funding cuts - driven by the Trump administration - on HIV prevention and care, especially for key populations like sex workers, people who use drugs, LGBTQ+ communities, and adolescent girls.

A powerful new Personal View published in The Lancet HIV features Advocacy for the Prevention of HIV and AIDS (APHA) Executive Director Yvette Raphael as a co-author. The article highlights the potential of long-acting lenacapavir to revolutionise HIV prevention - if global policy, funding, and delivery mechanisms rise to the challenge.

In a recent opinion piece by Yvette Raphael (APHA Executive Director) and Sibongile Tshabalala (TAC Chair) published in The Guardian, they warn that the withdrawal of U.S. HIV funding under President Trump has pushed South Africa's health system to a breaking point. Clinics - especially those serving transgender people, sex workers, and drug users - are struggling, HIV testing rates are falling, and frontline workers are losing jobs. Public trust is eroding, and services that

Co-founder and Executive Director for the Prevention of HIV in Africa, Yvette Raphael, received the Mani L. Bhaumik Breakthrough of the Year Award. This is for her pivotal role in advancing HIV prevention through the development and testing of Lenacapavir. She is one of three - and the only African, recognised as key role-players in advocating for access to adequate HIV care and treatment. Raphael elaborates.

APHA co-founder and chair person, Yvette Raphael, recently sat down with SciDev.net for a Q&A session where she emphaised the importance of inclusion of pregnant women and young girls in HIV trials, as well as healthcare and drug distribution programmes.

Today, Advocates for the Prevention of HIV in Africa (APHA) celebrates an extraordinary milestone as our co-founder and Executive Director, Yvette Raphael, receives the prestigious Mani L. Bhaumik Breakthrough of the Year Award for her pivotal role in advancing HIV prevention through the development and testing of Lenacapavir.

Yvette Raphael, co-founder and Executive Director at Apha, has been named as one of the three recipients of the Mani L. Bhaumik...

For decades, Africa’s HIV response has been heavily influenced by external donors and international health organisations. While these...

The fight against HIV has seen remarkable progress over the past two decades, with global initiatives like the U.S. President’s Emergency...

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Image Source: Bhekisisa Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a preventive strategy involving a daily pill that combines two antiretroviral...