HIV in Europe Conference

The HIV in Europe Initiative is happy to announce that the next HIV in Europe Conference will be on 19-20 March 2012 at the Panum Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Copenhagen University, Denmark. The conference will mark 5 years of the initiative joining civil society, policy makers, health professionals and European public health institutions to enhance the evidence base around topics related to optimal testing and earlier care of HIV.

Conference objectives

• To provide an overview of European initiatives and best practices on optimal testing and earlier care
• To present and discuss the outcomes of the pilot projects of HIV in Europe and discuss progress in the projects initiated in 2011
• To discuss and develop a strategy for implementation of changes based on the concrete outcomes of the projects and initiative
• To inform leaders, including key policy makers and donors, as to increase their commitment to ensure that HIV infected patients enter care earlier in the course of their infection than is currently the case
• To provide opportunities for multi-stakeholder dialogue to develop creative solutions to unresolved challenges in research and implementation of HIV policies and programmes to improve early diagnosis and care of HIV across Europe
• To increase public awareness of the public health problems associated with late presentation for HIV care
• To present data available on the cost-effectiveness of HIV testing demonstrating how scaling up HIV testing can contribute to more sustainable health systems
• To sustain the political discussion of the WHO EURO testing guidelines (2010) and ECDC testing guidelines (2010) and their implementation at national level
• To accompany the debate at EU HIV/AIDS Civil Society Forum and Think Tank level on Council Conclusions on HIV testing towards possible Council Conclusions under the Danish Presidency

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.