A Powerful Presence in Midst of War – Ukraine (Part 4): A Recap from AIDS 2026

unpublished

Submitted on Oct 12, 2026

By Jyoti Dhawale

From July 26-31, 2026, 7,500 participants gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026) – and several members of The Well Project's circle were among them. Read on for perspectives from The Well Project's global ambassador – and scroll down the page for more from on the ground in Rio at the world's largest HIV-related convening.

Walking through the conference and seeing the Ukrainian delegation was one of those moments that stayed with me.

I looked at them and thought about what was happening back home. Their country was still at war. Yet, there they were, physically present, not withdrawn, not waiting for life to become normal, but standing among the global HIV community, participating, sharing, learning, making their voice heard.

Jyoti Dhawale and member of the Ukrainian delegation at AIDS 2026.

Image courtesy of author.

It struck me how easily we can take conferences like this for granted. We arrive, attend sessions, meet people, exchange ideas, talk about strengthening health systems ... but for the Ukrainian community, carrying on the work while their country is experiencing war must mean something different. That is, families living with uncertainty, communities disrupted by war, health system under immense pressure, constant worry about what is happening back home. Yet they showed up. They carried their country's reality to global space, not to ask for sympathy but to be SEEN!! The Ukrainian delegation were carrying the voices and needs of their community that cannot afford to give up just because their country is at war! They were making sure that people living with HIV are supported and remembered even during the war.

Seeing Ukraine there was therefore much more deep at conference. It was seeing resilience in human form: people, the delegates choosing to show up for their communities, even when their own lives are surrounded by uncertainty.

Image courtesy of author

My takeaway: They came from a country at war, they reminded me that sometimes the bravest thing a community can do is to still show up, carrying the pain of war behind them while continuing to carry hope, voices, and unfinished lives of the people they refuse to leave behind.