Commonwealth Club of California Podcast World AIDS Day: Are We Winning the Fight?
Dec 4, 2025
Join Dr. Monica Gandhi, a leading HIV expert from UCSF, Dr. Dimitri Daskalakis, a public health leader addressing PEPFAR funding threats, and Tyler Jameer, CEO of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, as they tackle pressing issues in the fight against HIV. They discuss the lifesaving impact of PEPFAR, the chilling effect of federal funding cuts, and the importance of community-led initiatives. Hear about the rising challenges facing vulnerable populations and the need for activism and resilience in addressing these urgent public health concerns.
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Progress Meets New Systemic Barriers
- Antiretroviral advances transformed HIV into a manageable condition but progress faces new systemic obstacles.
- Innovation must include delivery, access, community co-creation, and workforce training to finish the epidemic.
Normalize HIV Care Across Clinics
- Integrate HIV screening, PrEP, and treatment into primary care, OB/GYN, and urgent care to normalize services.
- Train broad provider networks in competence and compassion to improve access and linkage to care.
PEPFAR's Fragile But Critical Role
- PEPFAR provided lifesaving ART globally and built U.S. soft power, but recent policy shifts threaten its scope.
- Curtailing prevention funding and politicizing aid risks reversing decades of gains and increasing deaths.
