June 30, 2011

Dear Advocates,

This update contains information on the upcoming IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, a link to an HIV prevention research “roadmap” for the conference, and details on a number of AVAC and partner events, including a satellite at which the We CAN End the AIDS Epidemic sign-on statement will be presented.

The IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention is held every two years, and this year it will take place in Rome, July 17-20. The 2011 conference has a program that includes many sessions on a range of HIV-related topics. AVAC has compiled a “roadmap" that features HIV prevention research-related sessions planned for the conference.

You can download a PDF of the current roadmap (both detailed and abridged versions) at www.avac.org/ias2011, or to view it within the conference's Programme-at-a-Glance system, go to http://pag.ias2011.org and select the HIV Prevention from the roadmap drop-down menu. If you're planning a related event that isn’t included, please email us the details at avac@avac.org.

AVAC is working with various partners on the following conference sessions, which may be of interest:

Sunday, July 17

• 10:15–13:15: Satellite, MR 1: Controlling the HIV Epidemic, the Promise of ARV-based Prevention
• 12:30–14:30, Satellite, MR 2: GPP in Action: Introducing the 2nd Edition of Good Participatory Practice Guidelines for Biomedical HIV Prevention Trials and Examples of its Implementation in Current Research
• 14:45–16:45: Satellite, MR 2: HIV Vaccines and the Prevention Revolution: Shortening the Path to the End of the Epidemic

Monday, July 18

• 18:30–20:30: Satellite, MR 3: What Does the Future of the ARV-based Prevention Pipeline Look Like?

Tuesday, July 19

• 7:00–8:30, Satellite, MR 4: Zeroing out New Infections Through Prevention Tools and Technologies
• 16:30–18:00, Bridging Session, SR 1: Use of Antivirals in Prevention—Current Challenges and Controversies
• 18:30–20:30, Satellite, MR 3: Can We End the Epidemic?

During Tuesday evening’s satellite session, Can We End the Epidemic?, panelists and attendees will discuss how to start and sustain an HIV prevention revolution that could end the epidemic. At this session we will present the sign-on statement, We CAN End the AIDS Epidemic, which has been signed by over 330 organizations and individuals from around the world. If you or your organization would like to sign on and have not yet already, please do so by Friday, July 15—and please circulate to your networks!

And, for those of you who won't be attending in person, you can follow the conference proceedings from afar via regular reports from NAM/AIDSMAP, the official online partner for scientific reporting at IAS 2011, and post-conference coverage from Clinical Care Options (CCO), the official online partner for scientific analysis at IAS 2011. In addition, the Global Health Council will be blogging from the conference. Finally, you can get real-time conference updates by following IAS 2011 (on Facebook and Twitter) as well as AVAC (on Facebook and Twitter).

AVAC will also be providing conference updates and webinars on any key research findings presented at the conference. Please look out for details in late July.

And, as always, please send any questions or comments to avac@avac.org.

Best,
AVAC