…Progress towards a cure, Management of side effects and complications of HIV and ARV therapy among topics to be discussed
ALL systems are in place for the opening Sunday of the world’s largest open scientific conference on HIV/AIDS – the 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011), slated for July 2011, in Rome, Italy. The conference, which will bring together more than 5,000 delegates from all over the world, will take place in the Flaminio District, at the Auditorium Parco della Musicia, Viale Pietro de Coubertin 30 Rome.

At the biennial gathering, dedicated to the exploration and implementation of HIV science, leaders will examine the latest developments in HIV-related research, and explore how scientific advances can – in very practical ways – inform the global response to HIV/AIDS.

Topics this year will include new treatments and treatment possibilities for HIV; research and management of side effects and complications of HIV and antiretroviral therapy, and progress toward a cure.

President of the International AIDS Society, and International Chair, Dr. Elly Katabira, in a welcome letter to the delegates, alluded to the upcoming conference as a crucial opportunity for the world’s leading scientists, clinicians, implementers, public health experts and community leaders to examine the latest developments in HIV-related research, and to explore how scientific advances can be translated quickly into effective interventions to prevent and treat HIV, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Said Dr. Katabira, “IAS 2011 will be an opportunity to highlight new scientific developments and the need to rapidly implement them in the field. We will also continue to emphasise monitoring the effectiveness of programmes as we scale up treatment and prevention, given that we still have tremendous strides to make before reaching the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.”

And of this year’s venue, the IAS President commented:  “Rome’s unique history and character makes it a living bridge between the global South and North, and we look forward to making the 2011 conference another milestone in the fight against inequalities in access to HIV prevention and treatment and, in general, to health.”  Dr. Katabira is also Professor of Medicine, Makerere, University,Kampala, Uganda. Local Co-Chair, is Stefano Vella, MD, Head of the Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicines Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità Rome, Italy.

IAS 2011 is being organised by the International AIDS Society, in partnership with Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health), the leading technical and scientific body of the Italian National Health Service.

IAS 2009 was held in Cape Town, South Africa, from July 19 -22., and was aimed at providing new insights into HIV disease development, biomedical prevention and clinical care that can lead to novel research directions and help translate theoretical advances into clinical and prevention practice.