Sir Elton John and newlywed Prince Harry are joining forces to launch a major new AIDS initiative.
The rocker, who is the founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and the royal will announce a new global coalition at the 22nd International AIDS Conference, aka AIDS 2018, in Amsterdam.
The project is focused on treating HIV infections in men.
The coalition and its inaugural campaign will be unveiled on 24 July (18) at the conference’s Opening Plenary and subsequently showcased in its Global Village.
Announcing the major new initiative on Thursday (12Jul18), the I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues singer said, "Two years ago at the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa the Duke of Sussex and I participated in a panel looking at HIV and youth - the only age demographic where HIV infections are rising not falling. Since then, my Foundation, along with other partners, have been undertaking participatory, human-centred design research collectively covering six countries.
"A critical finding from this work is the urgent need to rapidly scale up men’s access to and engagement in HIV testing and treatment services."
In addition to the new coalition’s launch Elton John AIDS Foundation bosses will host a press conference to announce new partners in its Eastern Europe & Central Asia Key Populations Fund, launched in October 2017, as well as the first grant awards under the fund and proposed activities.
