NACOSA was privileged to be represented at the International AIDS Conference in Montreal, Canada. Many of our colleagues from other parts of Africa were not able to attend because they were denied visas or refused entry, underscoring once again the unacceptable inequities in global health responses. We were there to share some of our learnings working with key and vulnerable populations in South Africa and also to gain insights from the global AIDS community on how we “re-engage and follow the science”. The Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a blow to the progress we were making on HIV, AIDS and TB – the activism, science and community engagement on display at the conference has helped to reinvigorate the AIDS response.
Oral abstract session
NACOSA’s Young People Specialist, Ndumiso Madubela, presented an abstract on the impact of a gender-based violence intervention on young men at the oral abstract session: Is violence a breaking point for HIV?
“My goal is to turn this small hustle into sustainable community impact” Mpho, also known as Gold, is a young man from Mangaung in the Free State who loves working
Buhle Ngidi is a single mother who is working hard to support her family. She is a hairdresser who is running her own salon, which gives her financial independence and
NACOSA will host the Amaqhawekazi Harm Reduction Summit 2026 in Gauteng from 26-27 August, under the theme “From Grassroots to Policy: The Journey of Harm Reduction in South Africa.” The
“A lot of people were selling Kotas, and no one was selling sandwiches; I saw an opportunity to offer something different that would benefit both customers and me.” Tirolo Boikanyo