IAS to Organize Global TB Conference

INTERNATIONAL AIDS SOCIETY TO ORGANIZE GLOBAL TB CONFERENCE ON THE EVE OF AIDS 2016

Two-day meeting will bring greater attention to the science of TB and its implementation

Barcelona, Spain – The International AIDS Society (IAS) announced that it will host “TB2016”, a two-day conference dedicated to highlighting new TB science and its importance for the future of global health. The conference will take place 16-17 July, 2016 in Durban, South Africa, immediately preceding the 21st International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016). The meeting is a unique partnership between HIV and TB scientists and advocates, convened to draw attention around the need for greater urgency and innovation to combat both epidemics.

“The fights against HIV and TB are inextricably linked,” said Chris Beyrer, President of IAS and Professor of Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. “The IAS would like to send a clear signal to the world that tackling TB is an important part of our mission to improve global public health.”

A recent Global Report on Tuberculosis (TB) revealed that TB remains one of the world’s deadliest communicable diseases. In 2013, an estimated 9 million people developed TB and 1.5 million died from the disease – 360 000 of whom were HIV-positive.

The announcement was made today during the opening plenary at the European AIDS Conference by TB2016 co-chair Jens Lundgren, Director of the Centre for Health and Infectious Disease Research at University of Copenhagen and a member of the IAS Governing Council.

“TB science is rapidly evolving. We hope to leverage the nearly 20 000 participants expected at the International AIDS Conference to bring greater attention to the TB epidemic and help advance the global response,” said Lundgren.

As more countries invest in understanding the spread of TB within their borders, the scale of the TB epidemic is becoming clearer. Worldwide, MDR- and XDR-TB are transmitted unabated and thousands of patients languish on waiting lists to receive effective treatment.

Lundgren’s co-chairs for TB2016 are Valerie Mizrahi, Director of the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine at the University of Cape Town and Haileyesus Getahun, Coordinator at the World Health Organization (WHO).

TB2016 is a partnership between some of the world’s leading global health organizations. In addition to the IAS, partners include the WHO, Stop TB Partnership, The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, the UN Special Envoy on TB, RESULTS and ACTION Global Health Advocacy Partnership. The meeting incorporates the South African TB conference.

For more information visit: www.TB2016.org.

ENDS

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