Highlights from SANPUD’s Participation at the 7th Pan Africa ILGA Conference

The 7th Pan Africa ILGA Regional Conference took place in Muldersdrift, Johannesburg, from 24–28 November 2025, and marked SANPUD’s first-ever participation in this regional gathering. Representing SANPUD were Charne Roberts and Ruan Carsten, who used the space to strengthen alliances with LGBTQI‑led movements and position harm reduction within broader queer rights and health agendas.

​The conference highlighted urgent themes including shrinking funding landscapes, the need for cross‑movement advocacy, legal gender recognition as a gateway to safer health access, evidence‑based human rights documentation, and the power of intentional storytelling in shifting harmful narratives. SANPUD also engaged in high‑level discussions on equitable funding and Global South leadership, while networking opened promising pathways for collaboration with the Rustin Fund, Visual AIDS, and the Other Foundation. Overall, the conference underscored the importance of integrating harm reduction into LGBTQI spaces and ensuring queer people who use drugs are visible and protected in regional advocacy.

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