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July 3, 2013

IAS 2015 the world's largest international open scientific conference on HIV/AIDS, will be held in Vancouver July 2015.

Vancouver, B.C. (July 3, 2013) — Vancouver has been selected to host the 8th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015). The announcement was made during the close of this year's IAS conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In remarks presented to delegates attending this year's conference, British Columbia Premier Christy Clark welcomed the selection of Vancouver as host of the 2015 conference.

"On behalf of all British Columbians, I look forward to Vancouver hosting the 8th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in 2015," said Premier Clark. "British Columbia has been progressive in response to the HIV crisis, and remains committed to bringing science and policy together. We're proud to share our successes with the world in 2015."

Held every two years, the IAS conference is a unique forum for scientists, clinicians, public health experts and community leaders to examine the latest developments in HIV science and explore how such developments can be realistically applied in implementation programs.

"The IAS conferences truly are exceptional gatherings for all those involved in the field of HIV," said Dr. Julio Montaner, director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) and IAS 2015 Local Co-Chair. "At the IAS conference in Vancouver in 1996, we introduced highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), changing the face of HIV forever. I look forward to making IAS 2015 another landmark in the global response to the HIV epidemic."

Vancouver was selected to host IAS 2015 following an evaluation of candidate cities conducted by the IAS Governing Council using three main criteria: impact on the epidemic, sufficient infrastructure, and freedom of movement and travel for people living with HIV and AIDS.

"We are excited IAS 2015 will be held in Vancouver," said Prof. Chris Beyrer, IAS 2015 International Chair, IAS President-Elect and Professor of Epidemiology and International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland. "British Columbia has a long history of leadership in HIV and AIDS. By developing ground-breaking policies such as Treatment as Prevention, they are making significant inroads against HIV and AIDS and providing best practices to implement in Canada and the rest of the world."

British Columbia has implemented innovative programs to advance the fight against HIV/AIDS. Widespread seek-and-treat for HIV testing and treatment, harm reduction approaches such as syringe exchanges, and the only supervised injection facility in North America have all contributed to a marked decrease in morbidity, mortality, and new HIV cases in the province. Researchers continue to investigate the potential of providing treating high-risk HIV exposures with highly active antiretroviral therapy, decriminalizing sex work, and public health approaches to drug policy as additional opportunities to further reduce HIV transmissions.

IAS 2015 will be organized by the IAS in partnership with the University of British Columbia Division of AIDS, based at St. Paul's Hospital, Providence Health Care. The conference is expected to gather some 6,000 delegates including 300 media representatives. The conference will take place at the Vancouver Convention Centre, July 19-22, 2015.