The Lancet Global Health Commission on People-Centered Care for Universal Health Coverage convened a Participatory Discussion Lab at AIDS 2026 in Rio de Janeiro to help refine its emerging framework for people-centered care (PCC). The session brought together people living with and affected by HIV, healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers, implementers, and civil-society representatives to explore how health systems can better respond to people’s needs, choices, and lived realities.
The Commission is developing an evidence-informed definition of PCC, an operational framework, and practical recommendations for health-system transformation. Its approach recognizes that PCC cannot be defined through academic research or expert consensus alone. Instead, it must be co-produced with people who receive, deliver, manage, and shape care.AIDS 2026 was an important setting for this work. The HIV response has long advanced people-centered approaches, including meaningful involvement of people with lived experience, peer navigation, community-led services, differentiated care, shared decision-making, and rights-based healthcare. Participants used these experiences to identify both the opportunities and barriers to making PCC routine across health systems.
Read the full event report to learn about the insights gained during this event:
AIDS 2026 Report
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