7th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2013)

The 7th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2013), will be held from 30 June– 3 July 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and will be dedicated to the exploration and implementation of HIV science. This biennial gathering is 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.

IAS 2013 will be an opportunity to highlight new scientific developments and the need to rapidly implement them in the field. We will also continue to emphasize 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.

Malaysia is the first Asian host of the IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention. As a region with the largest geographic area and population, dramatically varied levels of wealth, diverse epidemic patterns and a complex mix of structural and behavioural determinants of risk, Asia and the Pacific is faced with significant challenges in terms of its HIV epidemic. By bringing the conference to the region, delegates from all over the world can learn from the important successes and challenges of our Asian colleagues.

Malaysia itself has been chosen as host country for several reasons, notably the government’s commitment to provide free HIV treatment to all Malaysians in need of antiretroviral therapy, as well as its leadership in the area of HIV prevention for people who use drugs, with Malaysia now serving as a model for countries all over the world experiencing steep increases in HIV infections related to ineffective drug policy.

IAS 2013 will be organized by the International AIDS Society (IAS), in partnership with the Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA), University of Malaya a centre established in 2007 to undertake HIV-related research with a particular focus on HIV and substance use and related co-morbidities including tuberculosis (TB) and hepatitis C.

In the months ahead, we urge you learn more about the IAS 2013 scientific programme, develop and submit abstracts, and make plans to join us as we strengthen our collective efforts to further all facets of HIV science and hasten their implementation in the settings where they are needed most.

Main sessions of interest

We would like to draw your attention on the following sessions of interest:

• High Level Panel on Drug Policies and Public Health
• Community Forum: ‘Building Partnerships between the Community and Scientists to Strengthen the Response to HIV’
• IAS Members' Meeting at IAS 2013: 'None Left Behind' – the IAS's Work with Key Affected Populations
• Evidence-Based Drug Policies for an Effective HIV Response

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