GCN and HIV Ireland are once again teaming up to present a special lunchtime seminar to mark Irish AIDS Day on June 15. ‘The Final Countdown’ will bring together notable activists and scholars to discuss reflections on 40 years of HIV and AIDS, It’s a Sin, and how we can end new HIV transmission by 2030.

Last week marked 40 years since the first HIV diagnosis in 1981. It has since become entirely manageable with the biggest challenge now being stigma.

Russell T Davies ‘It’s A Sin’ has brought the conversation around HIV and AIDS into mainstream media. Reaction has ranged from “shock” at gay sex scenes in British tabloids to a greater understanding of undetectable = untransmittable.

In advance of Irish AIDS Day 2019, Ireland signed the Paris Declaration, pledging to place our cities on a fast track to end AIDS by 2030.  The Paris Declaration commits us to achieve ambitious targets to reduce new HIV infections, end AIDS-related deaths, and eliminate barriers faced by people affected by and living with, HIV, including stigma and discrimination.

Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway are now on the fast-track to end AIDS by 2030.

All of this and more will be discussed by renowned panellists and hosted by journalist and broadcaster Ciara Plunkett.

Lisa Power, MBE – Fast Track Cardiff & Vale

A volunteer in HIV since before it had a name, Lisa spent 14 years with Gay Switchboard, 17 years more with Terrence Higgins Trust and was one of the founders of Stonewall. She is a Trustee of Queer Britain and an Advisory Board member for Terrence Higgins Trust. She recently acted as advisor on the BBC’s “It’s a Sin” written and directed by Russell T. Davies and is currently Development Officer for Fast Track Cardiff & Vale.

Bruce Richman – Prevention Access Campaign / U=U

Founder and Executive Director of Prevention Access Campaign, a US based not-for-profit organisation, Bruce pioneered the global U=U campaign, a growing global community of HIV advocates, activists, researchers, and over 1,025 Community Partners from 102 countries uniting to clarify and disseminate the revolutionary “Undetectable equals Untransmittable” HIV public health message.

Prof. Ann Nolan – Trinity College Dublin

Ann is Assistant Professor in Global Health and Director of the MSc in Global Health at the Trinity Centre for Global Health (TCGH), She is a technical specialist in HIV and sexual health and a former Executive Director and Chairperson of HIV Ireland. She has been an advisor to Ireland’s International Development Cooperation programme at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and team lead for social science research in the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Dr Cormac O’Brien – University College Dublin

Lecturer in Anglo-Irish Drama in the School of English, Drama and Film at University College Dublin. Cormac specialises in modern and contemporary Irish drama with a comparative focus on British and American theatre, he also specialises in the interdisciplinary field of medical humanities, comparatively exploring Irish and other Western cultural responses to HIV and AIDS, predominantly in drama, fiction, cinema, and television.

To take part in this unmissable event, tune into GCN’s YouTube or HIV Ireland’s Facebook on June 15 at 1pm.

Please consider donating to HIV Ireland at hivireland.ie/donate and GCN at gcn.ie/support.