HPRU symposium highlights innovation, equity and focus on inclusion
At a session as part of the joint BHIVA/BASHH 2026 conference programme, HPRU researchers highlighted cutting-edge biomedical advances alongside the urgent need to tackle stigma and unequal access to care.
The Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Blood-Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections hosted a symposium at the joint British HIV Association and British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BHIVA/BASHH) 2026 conference on 27 April, bringing together researchers and practitioners to explore the future of prevention under the theme “Navigating innovation and equity.”
Chaired by Professor Caroline Sabin (UCL) and Dr Hamish Mohammed (UKHSA), the session combined perspectives across epidemiology, implementation science and social research. Presentations ranged from emerging biomedical tools in STI prevention to large-scale implementation of opt-out blood-borne virus testing in emergency departments, followed by critical reflections on stigma and inclusion.
Dr Hamish Mohammed highlighted the rapid evolution of prevention strategies, including new preventative approaches, vaccination programmes and digital innovations. Professor Jeremy Horwood (NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Evaluation and Behavioural Science) shared evidence from the emergency department testing programme demonstrated how service innovations can expand reach, identifying new blood-borne virus diagnoses among populations less likely to engage with traditional services.
Central to the session was the recognition that biomedical progress must be matched by social and structural change. Presenting on stigma, Dr Tom Witney (UCL) emphasised its continued impact on healthcare access and outcomes, while underscoring how stigma adapts rather than disappears.
Grace Sumner (Women’s Health Collective) concluding by presenting a future of inclusion in which she called for a fundamental shift in sexual health services. She highlighted persistent inequities in who is seen, heard and prioritised within care systems, and challenged assumptions that services adequately meet the needs of diverse populations.
In the panel discussion, speakers advocated for decentralised, community-led approaches, greater investment in underserved groups, and more flexible, responsive models of care. Delivering meaningful progress in BBV and STI prevention will require not only scientific innovation, but also inclusive systems designed in partnership with the communities they serve.