Fast-Track Cities 2026 Conference

Fast-Track Cities 2026 Conference is organized by International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) and will be held from Oct 11 - 13, 2026 at JW Marriott Hotel Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Theme: Unity of Purpose

Description:
The Fast-Track Cities network has grown into a powerful global movement of more than 600 cities and municipalities committed to advancing equitable, person-centered responses to HIV, tuberculosis (TB), viral hepatitis, and syndemic conditions. Given rising rates of other communicable and non-communicable diseases inequitably affect the same populations, and the escalating health impacts of climate change, cities stand at a critical juncture in addressing the world’s most urgent public health challenges. The conference will build on the Fast-Track Cities network’s legacy by creating a shared space for unity of purpose in urban public health.

Why This Conference Matters:
Fast-Track Cities have demonstrated that progress is possible when political will, community leadership, and data-driven action are aligned. Yet today’s health landscape remains deeply complex. HIV service disruptions, widening non-communicable disease burdens, post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery, rising inequality, and climate-related threats jeopardize gains made over decades and disproportionately impact urban populations. The fast-approaching 2030 deadline for the health-related SDGs underscores the urgency to accelerate implementation, scale what works, and meaningfully address persistent gaps across the continuum of human health.

Siloed approaches to health are no longer viable in a world where diseases, determinants, and climate-related shocks intersect. Achieving the Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities commitments requires integrated, cross-cutting responses that link communicable and non-communicable diseases, environmental health, mental health, and social determinants within a unified urban health framework. In partnership with other urban health initiatives, Fast-Track Cities 2026 will spotlight models of integration that strengthen health systems, reduce inequities, and expand access to person-centered, whole-of-society solutions.

The conference provides a platform to reinvigorate political commitment to urban action and strengthen urban health leadership across HIV, TB, viral hepatitis, and other communicable and non-communicable diseases through multisectoral approaches that leverage shared innovation. The goal is to exchange best practices and data-driven solutions that can be scaled across the Fast-Track Cities network, while elevating community voices, particularly those who are too often marginalized or left behind. Ultimately, the conference aims to promote unity of purpose at a time when health equity and human rights are increasingly under threat.