ROME TO HOST WORLD'S LARGEST
OPEN SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON HIV/AIDS
22 July 2009 - Cape Town, South Africa - The International AIDS Society (IAS) today announced the selection of Rome, Italy
as host of the world's largest open scientific conference on HIV/AIDS - the 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) - to be held from 17 - 20 July 2011
at the Auditorium Parco della Musica. The event will be organized by the IAS, in partnership with Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health), which is the leading technical
and scientific body of the Italian National Health Service.
Held every two years, the IAS conference attracts over 5,000 participants from all over the world. It is a unique opportunity for the world's leading scientists, clinicians, 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.
IAS President-Elect, Dr. Elly Katabira (Uganda) has been appointed the International Chair of IAS 2011, while Italian infectious disease specialist, Dr. Stefano Vella has accepted the Local Chair
position. Dr. Katabira will assume the IAS presidency in August 2010.
"IAS 2011 will be an opportunity to highlight new scientific developments and the need to rapidly implement them in the field," said Dr. Katabira. "We will also continue
to emphasize monitoring the effectiveness of programmes as we scale up treatment and prevention, given that we are only 30 percent of the way to fulfilling global commitments to universal treatment.
The fact that, while focusing on the very serious task at hand, we will also have the chance to experience the rich history and beauty of Rome, is most definitely icing on the cake."
"Our experience at IAS 2009 in Cape Town this week has shown what remarkable progress has been made over the past ten years, but it has also highlighted how far we have to go," said Dr. Stefano Vella. "Rome's unique
history and character makes it a living bridge between the global South and North. I 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. Elly T. Katabira is Professor of Medicine and former Deputy Dean for Research, Faculty of Medicine at Makerere University. He is the Clinical Advisor at the AIDS Clinic in Mulago Hospital and at
the Infectious Diseases Institute of Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Uganda. Dr. Katabira co-founded The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) and is their Medical Advisor. His research interests
include clinical trials and operational research issues on various aspects of HIV/AIDS care and support, both within institutions and in the community.
Dr. Vella is Head of the Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicines Evaluation of the ISS, where his research interests include: the study of HIV resistance to antiretroviral drugs; the mechanisms of immune reconstitution; and the perfecting of antiretroviral therapy. He is Coordinator of the European Commission-funded HIV Clinical Trials Network (NEAT) and also participated in the development of the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (HIV, TB and Malaria). Dr. Vella is a former member of the IAS Governing Council and previously served as its President from 2000 to 2002.
The most recent IAS conference (IAS 2009) was held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 19 - 22 July. IAS 2007 was held in Sydney, Australia.
About the Organizers
The International AIDS Society (IAS) is the world's leading independent association of HIV professionals, with over 13,000 members in 188 countries working at all levels of the global response to HIV/AIDS. IAS members represent scientists, clinicians, public health and community practitioners on the frontlines of the epidemic. The IAS is the custodian of the biennial International AIDS Conference and the host of the IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention.
The Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) is the leading technical and scientific body of the Italian 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.
Ends
For more information:
Karen Bennett
Senior Communications Manager, International AIDS Society
Geneva, Switzerland
Email: Karen.bennett@iasociety.org
Karen.bennett@iasociety.org
Phone: +41 22 710 0832
"Reproduced with permission - International AIDS Society"
International AIDS Society
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