WHO will participate in IAS 2023, the 12th International IAS Conference on HIV Science, which will take in Brisbane, Australia and virtually. WHO will hold several key satellite sessions to share its latest scientific and normative work, including the launch of the new policy brief on the role of HIV viral suppression in improving individual health and reducing transmission; new directions towards HIV integration into primary health care and to present the latest scientific evidence around the intersections between mpox, HIV and STIs, as well as the impact of climate change and other determinants of health in the control of HIV.
Furthermore, WHO will have a leading role across the conference agenda and pre-meetings, including the participation in the opening ceremony, plenary sessions, press conferences, workshops, bilateral meetings and engaging with communities and people living with or affected by HIV.
The IAS Conference on HIV Science is the world’s most influential meeting on HIV research. The conference traditionally attracts up to 6 000 participants, therefore, it is an event of prime importance in the context of HIV for WHO.
The 12th IAS Conference on HIV Science will be the first major event to be held in the Asia-Pacific region in a decade, providing a relevant opportunity to highlight the challenges and successes of the HIV response across this vast, and dynamic region, while addressing HIV science in the context of wider pandemic preparedness and response.
WHO is convening the following satellites sessions:
Saturday 22 July | Pre-meeting on cervical cancer and HIV – Putting people first in the prevention, treatment and care of HPV-related cancers for people living with HIV |
Sunday 23 July | HIV in the Asia Pacific Region: how climate change, distance and megacities are impacting the control of HIV and the challenge of reaching the unreached This session will analyze the impact of environmental determinants of health and other factors in the Asia Pacific region. This region is characterized by its vast area and diverse cultures, there are 21 small island nations and territories in the region as well as large countries with remote rural communities and megacities. From air and water pollution, extreme weather events to rising temperatures and sea levels, people in the Asia Pacific region and disproportionately to people living with HIV, daily experience the effects of the environment on their health, food insecurity, among other direct effects in a context where other social and economic disruptions increase health care demand in limited health infrastructure. How do we maintain the gains we have made in the control of HIV and other communicable diseases in remote regions as well as megacities in the face of such challenges? What does the data and science tell us about this context in the response to HIV? |
Sunday 23 July | HIV, Mpox and sexually transmitted infections linkages: what we know and where we’re going This session will explore: the latest scientific evidence around the intersections between mpox, HIV and STIs; the implications of the growing evidence characterizing more severe presentations of mpox and advanced HIV disease; insights into the responses and engagement of communities affected by the multi-country mpox outbreak from global, regional and national perspectives; and evidence around clinical and programmatic opportunities for the integrated delivery of mpox, HIV and STI prevention and care packages, including through the identification of possible pathways for future outbreak preparedness. |
Sunday 23 July | What's new in WHO guidelines: innovations, treatment, integration and monitoring This session will present the new WHO guidelines and policy briefs focusing on innovations, integration and person-centered response. This will include sharing a new policy brief on the role of HIV viral suppression in improving individual health and reducing transmission; innovations in advanced HIV disease; and a suite of new STI diagnostic documents. The session will highlight innovations in WHO normative work while bringing together the key figures of the HIV response in a high-level conversation hosted by Dr Tedros, WHO Director-General (TBC). |
Monday, 24 July | Tackling advanced HIV disease is critical to end AIDS by 2030 In 2021, 650 000 people died from AIDS-related mortality. This satellite will highlight key recommendations for reducing deaths due to advanced HIV disease and summarize key gaps for future action. Leading experts will summarize challenges in addressing major pathogens, including tuberculosis, cryptococcal meningitis, histoplasmosis, talaromyces, and other fungal infections. Speakers will include leaders from the three organizing agencies – WHO, UNITAID and CDC – as well as clinical researchers and programme managers from affected countries. |
Monday, 24 July | Moving beyond a negative HIV test - Establishing a thrive agenda for children and adolescents with perinatal HIV exposure (in collaboration with IAS) The 9th Workshop on Children and Adolescents with Perinatal HIV Exposure builds on 8 years of workshops focused on the health and wellbeing of the nearly 16 million children and adolescents who did not acquire HIV but experienced in utero or breastfeeding exposure to HIV. Past Workshops have highlighted health and development disparities in this population of children and adolescents affected by HIV, attracting the attention and action from policymakers, implementers and funders within and beyond HIV. This year the theme of the workshop will be “Moving beyond a negative HIV test - Establishing a thrive agenda for children and adolescence with perinatal HIV exposure” The workshop has consistently been attended by a diverse group, including researchers, clinicians, programme implementers, policymakers and advocates. It continues to be a catalyst for shaping research agendas and health policies to support this population of children and adolescents to reach their fullest possible potential. Satellite organizers: IAS – the International AIDS Society, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), Massachusetts General Hospital, Paediatric-Adolescent Treatment Africa (PATA), and the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS). |