FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, 26 July 2017
Webcast of the press briefing is available here
(Paris, France) – The world has made great strides in reducing the impact of HIV, and AIDS-related deaths are on the decline in every age group – except among adolescents. New UNAIDS estimates show that young people continue to be at elevated risk for HIV globally.
Leaders dedicated to changing this reality participated in an official press briefing at the 9th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2017) today to share insights on novel approaches to reach the next generation with HIV prevention and treatment services.
“We must work with urgency to do a better job of reaching young people with the HIV services they need,” Linda-Gail Bekker, the President of the International AIDS Society (IAS) and International Scientific Chair of IAS 2017, said. “Only then will be able to change the course of the epidemic and truly end HIV.”
Leaders who spoke in the press briefing included: Shanine Musonga, an IAS 2017 Youth Ambassador from Zimbabwe, who highlighted the need for communities to support youth-led prevention and counselling initiatives; Yogan Pilloy of South Africa’s National Department of Health, who provided an overview of the important role that governments can play in meeting young people’s needs; Kate Thomson of the Global Fund, who underscored the importance of investing in young people; and Anna Grimsrud of the IAS, who shared insights from a special supplement of the Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS) focused on differentiated HIV care and a related new guidance framework, both launched at IAS 2017.
Several IAS 2017 studies focus on improving HIV treatment and prevention approaches for young people, including:
- A large study examining a successful community-based HIV counselling and testing programme among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa and its potential implications for PrEP roll out (TUAC0201)
- A study in six African countries examining the benefits of multi-month prescriptions of HIV treatment for adolescents with HIV (MOAD0105)
- An analysis of adolescent treatment services in 23 sub-Saharan African countries, with implications for standards of care (MOPDD0101)
- Evaluation of the cost effectiveness of providing PrEP to young men versus young women in South Africa to inform the country’s PrEP implementation efforts (TUAC0202)
###
Contacts
About the International AIDS Society
The mission of the International AIDS Society (IAS) is to lead collective action on every front of the global HIV response through its membership base, scientific authority and convening power. Founded in 1988, the IAS is the world’s largest association of HIV professionals, with members from more than 180 countries working on all fronts of the global response to HIV. Together, we advocate and drive urgent action to reduce the global impact of HIV. The IAS is also the steward of the world’s two most prestigious HIV conferences: the International AIDS Conference and the IAS Conference on HIV Science. For more information, visit www.iasociety.org.
About the IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2017)
The IAS Conference on HIV Science is the largest open scientific conference on HIV- and AIDS-related issues. The 9th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2017) takes place on 23-26 July 2017 at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, France. More than 6,000 professionals from around the world are convening at IAS 2017 to examine the latest scientific developments in HIV-related research with a focus on moving science into practice and policy. IAS 2017 is organized by the International AIDS Society (IAS) in partnership with the French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis (ANRS). For more information, visit www.ias2017.org.
IAS 2017: Join the conversation
Get the latest conference updates and share your thoughts and ideas through the IAS 2017 social media channels.
- Tweet along with us – @iasociety – using #IAS2017 to keep the conversation going.
- Like IAS 2017 on Facebook – and stay in touch with the latest conference updates and developments.
- Check us out on Instagram to see photos as they are happening.
- Visit our YouTube channel to see featured videos and other content.
www.ias2017.org www.iasociety.org