In this crossover episode with Pandemic Planet, recorded during the International AIDS Conference in Montreal, Canada, on July 30th, Jeff Sturchio speaks with Solange Baptiste, Executive Director of the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC). This is one in a series of podcasts in which we explore what needs to be done to end the AIDS pandemic, both globally and domestically.  

In this wide-ranging interview, Ms. Baptiste addresses the issues that are still creating barriers to equitable access to HIV treatment around the world. She contrasts the excitement at new developments like long-acting prevention tools with the persistent challenge of inequities in HIV care and treatment, especially in middle-income countries. She speaks eloquently of access as a human right and the importance of educating and empowering affected communities to take the lead in creating new solutions. Ms. Baptiste makes a strong case that the world won’t achieve access for all unless we tackle structural barriers and power imbalances – and redesign systems to address the needs of people living with or at risk of HIV infection.   

Solange Baptiste assumed her current role as Executive Director of ITPC in 2016. She leads community activists and allies across the globe to deliver ITPC’s mission to enable people in need to gain access to optimal and affordable HIV treatment through treatment education, demand creation, community-based monitoring, and interventions to make medicines more affordable. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Tuskegee University and her Master of Science in Population and International Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. Solange is committed to ensuring that the voice of affected communities contributes to and influences the decisions and policies that affect their lives.