The Third Latin American and Caribbean Forum on Sustainability of the HIV Response (LAC III), “Road to Ending AIDS in LAC: Towards Sustainable Regional Fast Track Targets” was held in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from 6 to 8 November 2017.

The forum was organized as a collaborative effort by the Government of Haiti, in coordination with the Horizontal Technical Cooperation Group (GCTH), the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), the Minister of Health of Brazil, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Pan American Health Organization, the Global Fund Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the Latin American Network of People Living with HIV (REDLA+) and the Caribbean Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (CRN+).

As part of civil society representation, CRN+ made a poster presentation by the Interim Secretary, Mr Devon Gabourel, which focused mainly on the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV in Ending AIDS.  The CRN+ Interim Chair, Mr Winfield Tannis-Abbott ended the forum with some closing remarks that resonated with participants.  He called for the scale-up of the Greater Involvement of People living with HIV (GIPA), ensuring support and full involvement and ownership by networks and communities of people living with HIV and the investment in age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education and youth-friendly services for in-school, out-of-school and at-risk youth.

The overall objectives of the third forum were to review the progress and challenges towards meeting international and national targets; to discuss strategies to sustain the response in the medium and long-term including reflection on how to improve health systems effectiveness, efficiency and appropriate resource allocations; and to identify recommendations on how to close the resource gaps, specifically by increasing domestic investments.