Mexico City, IAS Conference on HIV Science

This year’s International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science was held in Mexico City, July 21-24. This conference is held in odd-numbered years and is the premier global conference on the scientific and medical aspects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. True to form, the conference highlighted many scientific advances related to both prevention and treatment. But presenters also recognized the importance of the social drivers, such as stigma and discrimination. This was articulated quite well in a press conference on Monday. Dr. Anthony Fauci, of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, pointed out that we now know with certainty that two medical tools, namely, ARV treatment leading to viral suppression, and PreP for prevention, are highly effective. Our challenge is to ensure that they are available to everyone who needs them. As Chris Collins, President of Friends of the Global Fight, said at the conclusion of his remarks, “Ending AIDS is not a fantasy. It is a decision.”

I would recommend that you watch the entire press conference. You will get a good picture of where we are and where we could choose to be. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6cM1lacCB0&list=PLjP62mGJ21ILQHfnRNzK7PBPWfvIFTd4t&index=4

The report referenced during the press conference describes six diverse locations around the world where we have seen strong success. The report can be found at http://endaids.org/