AIDSImpact 2011 [Новость добавлена - 04.08.2011]

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Press Release

The 10th international AIDSImpact conference will be held September 12-15 at the Community Convention Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.  Delegates from over 60 countries will present on progress in HIV/AIDS scientific research and prevention programs in plenary, as well as concurrent oral and poster sessions. This will mark the first time that the conference is organized in the U.S.  For the first time also, there will be a Spanish track to accommodate researchers and attendees from Spanish-speaking countries.

The first day of the conference will be devoted to the memory of Prof. Martin Fishbein who devoted his career to the study of human behavior and behavior change and whose work has been critical in the progress of HIV prevention. He was a major contributor to AIDSImpact until his untimely death in 2009.

There are an estimated 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Every year, 2.6 million new infections occur and 1.8 million people die as a result of the disease. Indeed, HIV/AIDS is still a dreadful epidemic with tremendous human suffering and a terrible impact on already fragile economies in many developing countries. Yet, there is also good news: new infections have decreased by 25% in the last 10 years and deaths related to HIV/AIDS have declined as well. Much of this progress is related to improved HIV treatment and access to prevention services.

Human behavior is at the center of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Worldwide, sexual transmission accounts for the majority of infections. Consequently, vast resources are spent on the development and implementation of prevention programs that aim to change sexual norms and behaviors. Conversely, despite treatment, infection with HIV still has a major impact on human well-being and behavior. The need for a scientific conference to focus on the behavioral, emotional, cognitive and economic aspects of HIV infection and prevention has long been recognized. AIDSImpact has filled this role for more than 20 years, covering HIV/AIDS psychological, behavioral and sociological research, including an emphasis on countries and populations hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic and the stigma and life challenges still associated with HIV infection.

A preliminary program of the Santa Fe conference is available on the AIDSImpact website and those interested in attending the conference can register here as well:

www.aidsimpact.com

. Late-breaker abstracts may be submitted on the website until August 1, 2011. Tickets will also be on sale for those wishing to only attend the opening ceremony and reception on September 12. Please contact AIDSImpact for more information: aidsimpact@comcast.net.