An in depth look at the 18th International AIDS Conference
The International AIDS Conference, which occurs every two years, has a broader scope than any other AIDS conference. Most other AIDS conferences and meetings tend to focus on either the hard science/medical aspects of HIV disease or the social aspects of the epidemic. In contrast, the International AIDS Conference encompasses the scientific, medical, social, and personal dimensions of HIV/AIDS. It brings together medical researchers, social scientists, community activists, and persons living with the virus from around the world. It provides a unique opportunity for the various stakeholders to learn more about each other’s accomplishments, goals, and concerns, and to strategize about ways to enhance their communication and work together more effectively toward common goals.
This year’s event – the 18th International AIDS Conference (IAC) – was held in Vienna, Austria from July 18 through 23. About 19,300 people from 197 countries participated. There were nearly 250 separate conference sessions, and more than 6,000 research abstracts were accepted.
The 2012 conference will be held in Washington, D.C. – the first time in 22 years that the IAC will be held in the U.S. Until recently, the U.S. had been out of contention as a site for the IAC because of the nation’s long-standing travel restrictions on persons living with HIV. With the Obama Administration’s lifting of those restrictions, the U.S. was quickly chosen as the site for the 2012 IAC.
Since it’s nearly impossible to report on the full range of research presented at the 2010 IAC, I’m providing a series of brief summaries grouped according to some of the Conference’s main themes and topic areas. I’ve also added links to reports, statements, and articles written by reliable health reporters who attended the Conference so that you can read in greater depth about the topics that interest you most. (Read on …)
