www.hivandhepatitis.com

IAS 2011 Will Explore Diverse Aspects of HIV/AIDS

The 6th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) will take place July 17-20 in Rome. Organizers have accepted more than 1000 abstracts exploring topics ranging from biomedical prevention to new strategies towards a cure.

HIVandHepatitis.com will be onsite providing daily reports and videos covering highlights of the meeting.

Onsite registration will be possible starting July 16. For more information about the conference, see http://www.ias2011.org.

Below is an edited excerpt from an IAS press release describing the conference and its contents.

Outstanding Quality of Science at 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) Underlines Conference Goal of Translating HIV Research into Practice

Current Registration Figures Suggest That Record Numbers of Delegates Will Benefit From High Quality Science Programme

Geneva, Switzerland -- April 14, 2011 -- The 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) will examine basic, clinical and prevention sciences as well as operations and implementation research. IAS 2011 will be held in Rome, Italy, from 17-20 July, and will offer up a strong roster of plenary speakers and a high-quality scientific programme in a robust range of topics.

The conference programme itself, and in particular the recently expanded operations and implementation research track, is intended to emphasize how scientific advances can be translated into practical interventions that respond to current challenges in HIV prevention, treatment and care, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Reflecting the urgent need for the rapid translation of science into practice in Africa, the number of presentations from the African region has increased since the 5th IAS Conference on HIV (IAS 2009), with over 25% of accepted abstracts for IAS 2011 submitted from the region.

“By bringing the latest operational and implementation research to an international audience, IAS 2011 will advance our understanding of how to translate new research into interventions that work in real life settings. Without this critical focus on the practicality of implementations, even the best scientific developments are of little real value,” said Elly Katabira, IAS 2011 International Chair and IAS President.

With 55% of all abstract presentations by women, and with the potential impact of important trials such as the CAPRISA 004 tenofovir-gel microbicide trial set to be explored, IAS 2011 will also provide an exiting opportunity for scientists to effectively and efficiently translate evidence into real-life tools to benefit women and girls affected by HIV and AIDS, as well as other key affected populations.

Reflecting a very strict selection procedure which ensures an outstanding quality of science at the conference, 35% of over 3,000 submitted abstracts have been chosen for presentation. “With nearly 3,300 abstracts submitted, the highest number ever for an IAS conference, I am confident that IAS 2011 will reveal important new information that will advance our collective work to prevent HIV and to treat and care for HIV-infected people around the world,” said Stefano Vella of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità and IAS 2011 Local Co-Chair.

Conference Programme

The Abstract-Driven Sessions will present the latest HIV research across all four conference tracks. The basic sciences track will highlight advances in the understanding of HIV biology and transmission, viral reservoirs, latency and persistence, immunoactivation, virus neutralization and immunity against HIV. The clinical sciences track will highlight the latest research findings and controversies related to the diagnosis, treatment and management of HIV infection; opportunistic infections, co-infections, other long-termcomplications and co-morbidities. The prevention science track will examine advances in HIV prevention research: epidemiology, social and behavioural aspects, best practice in HIV prevention, combination prevention and approaches for particular groups at risk. The track on operations and implementation research will focus on access and quality of HIV prevention, early detection, care and treatment. It will also include cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis; diagnostics and monitoring tools; HIV surveillance methodologies; and the synergies between HIV programmes and health care systems.

In addition to abstract-driven sessions, the conference will offer daily plenary sessions featuring distinguished researchers, scientific leaders and clinical experts. Confirmed plenary speakers and topics include:

• Giovanni Di Perri, Italy, Managing HIV Treatment in 2011
• Serge Eholié, Ivory Coast, Challenges in HIV Treatment and Care in a Resource Constrained Environment
• Susan Kippax, Australia, The Social Barriers to Effective HIV Prevention
• Philippa Musoke, Uganda, Caring for Mothers and Children: Towards the Millennium Development Goals
• Gary Nabel, USA, The Changing Face of HIV Vaccine Research
• Peter Piot, Belgium, The AIDS Response: The Need for a Long Term View
• Robin Shattock, UK, The Combined Approach to Preventing HIV Infection
• Eric Verdin, Belgium, Towards an HIV Cure
• Nora Volkow, USA, Ending HIV Transmission Among Drug Users by 2015

Workshops Offered for First Time For the first time the IAS will offer a series of workshops as part of the official programme of the Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention. Delegates will be able to participate in 11 high-quality, targeted workshops that will promote and enhance opportunities for knowledge transfer, skills development and collaborative learning. Workshops will cover all tracks and include several cross- cutting issues and themes, with topics including: career paths for basic scientists in low- and middle- income countries; combating HIV stigma and discrimination in health care settings; structural approaches to HIV prevention among sex workers; and operational research designed to scale up programmes to prevent mother-to-child transmission.

The workshop programme is aimed at increasing the capacity of delegates to implement and advocate for effective, evidence-based HIV/AIDS policies and interventions in their respective communities and countries.

About the IAS 2011 Organizers

The International AIDS Society (IAS) is the world's leading independent association of HIV professionals, with over 16,000 members from more than 196 countries working at all levels of the global response to AIDS. Our members include researchers from all disciplines, clinicians, public health and community practitioners on the frontlines of the epidemic, as well as policy and programme planners. The IAS is the custodian of the biennial International AIDS Conference and lead organizer of the IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, which will be held in Rome, Italy in July 2011.

For more information, visit www.iasociety.org.

The Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) is the leading technical and scientific body of theItalian National Health Service. Its activities include research, clinical trials, and control and training in public health. It also serves as a major national clearing-house for technical and scientific information on public health issues. Among other things, the Institute conducts scientific research in a wide variety of fields, from cutting-edge molecular and genetic research, to population-based studies of risk factors for disease and disability, to Global Health research.

7/12/11

Source

International AIDS Society. Outstanding Quality of Science at 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) Underlines Conference Goal of Translating HIV Research into Practice. Press release. April 14, 2011.