XVIII International AIDS Conference| AIDS 2010 | VIENNA | 18 to 23 July 2010

The XVIII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010) will be held in Vienna, Austria, from 18 to 23 July 2010.

In their welcome message, Conference Chair Dr. Julio Montaner and Local Conference Co-chair Dr. Brigitte Schmied, cited AIDS 2010 as marking an important milestone: the deadline by which world leaders have committed to ensuring universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. They further described the conference as “an opportunity to evaluate progress to date and to identify what must be done, both individually and collectively, to achieve this critical goal.”

The conference, in its overview, is seen as a chance “to assess where we are, evaluate recent scientific developments and lessons learnt, and collectively chart a course forward” as regards HIV and the commitment to ending the pandemic. The AIDS 2010 programme will present new scientific knowledge and offer many opportunities for structured dialogue on the major issues facing the global response to HIV. A variety of session types – from abstract-driven presentations to symposia, bridging sessions and plenaries – will meet the needs of various participants. Other related activities, including the Global Village, satellite meetings, exhibitions and affiliated events, will contribute to an exceptional opportunity for professional development and networking. Following the success of the pilot programme at AIDS 2008, the XVIII International AIDS Conference will provide or facilitate hubs (centres) where selected sessions of the conference will be screened, to increase the access to the conference programme.

Conference Goals and Objectives

AIDS 2010 will have a positive impact on the HIV/AIDS response globally, and in Austria and the neighbouring region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia in particular, with the following objectives: 

1. To increase the capacity of delegates to introduce, implement, and advocate for effective, evidence-based HIV/AIDS interventions in their communities, countries and regions.
2. To influence leaders, including key policy makers and donors, to increase their commitment to gender sensitive, evidence- and human-rights based HIV/AIDS interventions, including harm reduction strategies for people who inject drugs.
3. To serve as an accountability and feedback mechanism for those engaged at various levels of the response to HIV/AIDS, including policy makers and other leaders.
4. To increase public awareness of the continued impact of HIV/AIDS and the need for responses to the epidemic through the media and other means.
5. To increase understanding of the connection between human rights and an effective response to HIV/AIDS.
6. To increase understanding of the synergistic relationship between the scale up of the HIV/AIDS response and other global health, human rights and development priorities among key stakeholders involved in these distinct fields.
7. To provide opportunities for multi-stakeholder dialogue to develop creative solutions to unresolved challenges in research and implementation of HIV policies and programmes.

Conference Principles

1. Be inclusive of people living with HIV, and other key affected populations.
2. Be transparent in the way that the conference is planned and implemented.
3. Engage key stakeholders throughout the world in the development of and participation in the conference programme, especially those most engaged in the AIDS response, individuals and organizations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and key affected populations, including women and girls, men who have sex with men, sex workers, young people and people who inject drugs.
4. Ensure gender equality in representation at all levels of the planning and in the implementation of the conference.

Registration

All registrations (regular delegate, student/post-doc, youth delegate, accompanying adult and child, media representative) for the XVIII International AIDS Conference must be submitted using the online registration form, which will be available from 1 December 2009. Click here for registration fees.

Source: AIDS 2010 Official Conference website