AIDS 2026 | 26–31 JULY | RIO DE JANEIRO From Kampala to Rio A COMMUNITY-LED HIV ADVOCACY AND DIGITAL STORYTELLING EXPERIENCE AT AIDS 2026 Documenting the journey, the people, the frames and the conversation KAMPALA, UGANDA RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL 30 FRAMES SHOWCASED 15 FRAMES CREATED IN RIO 45 FRAMES IN TOTAL AUTHOR COUNTRY CONFERENCE William Matovu Uganda AIDS 2026, Rio de Janeiro KAMPALA RIO FROM KAMPALA TO RIO AIDS 2026 | 26–31 July | William Matovu, Uganda 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A decade of persistence, a global stage For more than a decade I have been part of the global HIV conference community, attending international AIDS conferences with the support of institutions, partners, organisations and friends who believed in my work. One opportunity, however, remained out of reach: an IAS conference scholarship. Year after year I applied, hoped and waited, and more than once I was turned down. AIDS 2026 changed that story. In July 2026 I travelled from Kampala, Uganda, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I went not simply as an attendee, but as an HIV advocate, U=U champion, community member and digital storyteller, and as the creator of a Global Village activity: Digital HIV Identity Frames: Rethinking Stigma, Rebuilding Pride, Rising Together. At the AIDS 2026 venue, Rio de Janeiro. 30 FRAMES SHOWCASED 15 CREATED DURING THE CONFERENCE 45 REPRESENTED AT AIDS 2026 Highlights Art meets advocacy Art, digital technology, lived experience and community engagement. A project that evolved live Fifteen new frames grew out of conversations and meetings during conference week. Reach beyond Rio LinkedIn, Facebook and WhatsApp took the frames to people who could not travel. Active in the U=U movement U=U/PAC booth support; speaker and facilitator at U=U University. Recognition Received the U=U Community Impact Award, presented by ViiV Healthcare. This report documents that journey. More importantly, it reflects on what the experience taught me about the role of people living with HIV and community advocates in shaping HIV science, communication and advocacy. KAMPALA RIO FROM KAMPALA TO RIO AIDS 2026 | 26–31 July | William Matovu, Uganda 3 SETTING THE SCENE Introduction AIDS 2026 was much more than a conference for me. It was the moment when years of community work, advocacy and persistence converged. For someone who has spent years working within the HIV response, a global conference offers a chance to see the movement from another perspective. At the “We Stand With the U=U Manifesto” display, AIDS 2026. In Rio, I met Researchers Policymakers Clinicians Activists Young people People living with HIV worldwide And I realised that HIV science is not only about what happens in laboratories, hospitals and research institutions. It is also about people. My experiences The language I use Stigma Identity Dignity Science reaching communities That was the space in which I brought the Digital HIV Identity Frames project to AIDS 2026. KAMPALA RIO FROM KAMPALA TO RIO AIDS 2026 | 26–31 July | William Matovu, Uganda 4 STOP 1 | KAMPALA The road to Rio For more than a decade, one opportunity stayed just out of reach. This is the path that led to the plane. Applied Hoped Waited Rejected, more than once Kept showing up AIDS 2026 My journey to AIDS 2026 began years earlier, in Uganda. For more than a decade there were applications, hopes and disappointments, and real questions about whether these spaces would ever open their doors. Through it all, I kept showing up: working in communities, advocating for change, having U=U conversations, using social media to challenge HIV stigma, and supporting young people and people living with HIV. Eventually, the opportunity came. I travelled from Kampala to Rio carrying years of experience and the voices of the communities I have worked with. This journey was not mine alone. It belonged to the communities I represent. Departing Kampala for Rio. ? THE QUESTIONS BEHIND THE FRAMES Why digital HIV identity matters HIV advocacy has traditionally focused on prevention, treatment, transmission and health outcomes. But HIV also affects identity. ? Who am I? ? Who can I love? ? Who will accept me? ? Should I disclose? ? Will people judge me? ? Am I defined by HIV? ? Can I be proud of who I am? Two kinds of reality Science changes medical realities; stigma can still shape social ones. U=U challenges fear People living with HIV who are on treatment and have an undetectable viral load cannot sexually transmit the virus. Stories weaken stigma When people understand U=U and see real stories, they can see lives beyond stigma. KAMPALA RIO FROM KAMPALA TO RIO AIDS 2026 | 26–31 July | William Matovu, Uganda 5 STOP 2 | RIO DE JANEIRO The Digital HIV Identity Frames project Digital HIV Identity Frames: Rethinking Stigma, Rebuilding Pride, Rising Together is built around visual storytelling. Through photography and digital narratives, it gives people living with HIV a way to express their strength, pride, resilience, activism and hope Each frame carries an idea, message, question or perspective connected to HIV identity and advocacy, for example: “I’m Still Standing.” “I’m an HIV Colonialism Fighter.” “Health Workers Say Zero.” The frames were designed to provoke reflection and conversation. They are not decorative graphics; they are conversation starters Example frame: “Dignity Has No Stigma”. 30 frames in Rio, 15 more created live 30 FRAMES SHOWCASED +15 CREATED DURING CONFERENCE WEEK 45 REPRESENTED AT AIDS 2026 Visitors could stop, look, read, ask questions, discuss and reflect, connecting the messages to their own understanding of HIV. The additional 15 frames were designed during the week, shaped by conversations, meetings, advocacy activities and new experiences, so the project evolved while the conference was happening. The Global Village Here, people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds came together. The frames invited conversations about HIV beyond clinical language: about U=U, stigma, lived experience, activism and the questions I still carry. Community storytelling can evolve in real time, respond to new ideas and allow communities to keep creating their own narratives. With fellow delegates in front of the Digital HIV Identity Frames wall. KAMPALA RIO FROM KAMPALA TO RIO AIDS 2026 | 26–31 July | William Matovu, Uganda 6 STOP 3 | BEYOND RIO Beyond the room: digital advocacy as a bridge The journey did not end at the conference venue. Through LinkedIn, Facebook and WhatsApp I shared the Digital HIV Identity Frames, activities, conversations and reflections from AIDS 2026. This gave the project a second life online and a bridge to people who could not travel to Brazil. Travel costs, difficult visas, expensive accommodation and time away from work and family remain real barriers to international conferences. Digital engagement helps ensure the stories, ideas and lessons from AIDS 2026 reach far beyond the rooms where I was physically present. RIO DE JANEIRO LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp ANYONE, ANYWHERE Carrying many voices When an advocate attends a global conference, they carry more than personal experience. They carry the voices of many. Multiplying conversations One conversation in Rio can become hundreds or thousands of digital conversations elsewhere. Widening participation People who were not in Rio could take part in the experience from wherever they were. ? How much can digital engagement change knowledge, attitudes and behaviour? KAMPALA RIO FROM KAMPALA TO RIO AIDS 2026 | 26–31 July | William Matovu, Uganda 7 STOP 4 | ADVOCACY IN ACTION U=U: taking science to the community U=U UNDETECTABLE = UNTRANSMITTABLE U=U stands for Undetectable = Untransmittable. A person living with HIV who is on effective treatment and maintains an undetectable viral load cannot sexually transmit the virus. It is one of the most important scientific developments in the HIV response. But communication is key. It requires understanding viral suppression, the evidence behind U=U, and building trust. When shared well, U=U empowers people, reduces stigma and supports prevention. My goal is to help people living with HIV experience U=U as empowering, not as another medical instruction. On the ground at AIDS 2026 The U=U booth At the U=U/PAC booth I spoke with people from many countries and backgrounds. Some came with questions, others with existing knowledge, and many were eager to learn something new. I explained what U=U means, the science behind it and how it applies in real life, addressed misconceptions, and celebrated the hope and empowerment many visitors felt. U=U University I took part in the U=U University Youth Ambassadors Workshop as both speaker and facilitator. The session brought together young leaders committed to science, advocacy and ending HIV stigma in their communities. I shared my journey, discussed U=U communication strategies, and explored how young people can lead change through knowledge, empathy and action. At the U=U booth, AIDS 2026. What the booth and the workshop reinforced Listening matters as much as sharing ? Questions drive understanding Misconceptions reveal advocacy needs Young leaders build a stigma-free future KAMPALA RIO FROM KAMPALA TO RIO AIDS 2026 | 26–31 July | William Matovu, Uganda 8 STOP 5 | TOUCHDOWN Recognition and conclusion U=U COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD I received the U=U Community Impact Award, presented by ViiV Healthcare at the U=U Award Gala Dinner in Rio de Janeiro. From Kampala to Rio, this journey showed how digital storytelling, science, youth leadership and community advocacy can work together to challenge HIV stigma. The award reflects the power of turning knowledge into connection, confidence and meaningful change. Key lessons HIV science is also about people, identity and dignity. Frames work best as conversation starters, not decoration. Community storytelling can evolve in real time. Digital advocacy widens who can take part. Listening is as important as sharing. Accepting the award at the U=U Award Gala Dinner. SCIENCE UNITES US. U=U EMPOWERS US. COMMUNITIES LEAD.