2020年第23届国际艾滋病大会/虚拟会议(AIDS2020)将于2020年7月6日至10日召开,预计将吸引来自世界各地的20000余名科学家、政策制定者、卫生保健专业人士以及其他相关人士与会。世界艾滋病大会是由国际艾滋病学会(IAS)主办目前全球规模最大的 HIV与AIDS会议,是推进艾滋病防治工作的首要全球平台,首届会议1985年在美国亚特兰大召开,自1994年起改为每两年举行一次。
国际艾滋病协会(IAS)成立于1988年,是世界上最大的HIV专业人士协会,成员遍布全球170多个国家和地区。IAS通过与成员合作一起倡导并采取紧急行动来减少HIV的影响。IAS组织世界上最负盛名的HIV会议:国际AIDS大会,IAS HIV科学会议和HIV研究与预防大会。—领域国际医学会议网翻译整理,未经本站允许,禁止复制、转载本站任何内容。
We are proud of the communities we are – people living with HIV; men who have sex with men, transgender people, and other LGBTQI people; racial and ethnic minorities, indigenous people, immigrants and refugees; sex workers and people who inject drugs. We are scientists, clinicians and community advocates. We represent an international community, the United States and other countries around the globe that are resisting divisive politics and united in this historic and collective fight to end the HIV epidemic. Within the United States, we represent Oakland, San Francisco, southern states and major cities across the nation. In this capacity, we are honoured to assume the responsibility as the leadership body of the 23rd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2020) and take on the role of the Conference Coordinating Committee (CCC).
In just under two years, our HIV community is gathering in Oakland and San Francisco for AIDS 2020 which comes at a critical moment in the global fight against HIV. Moreover, this conference is occurring at a critical point in the history of the host country, the United States. Never has it been more important to make our collective voices heard.
With great challenge comes great opportunity. We know from experience that the conference has the power to unite diverse voices to confront harmful policies and draw international attention and resources to ending the epidemic. We came together in Vancouver in 1996 to usher in the HAART era. We came together in 2000 to face AIDS denialism in South Africa. Now, the selection of the US is giving us the opportunity to stand up and seize this moment – and leverage this powerful platform – as a united community and to drive meaningful change.
We had broad community support from organizations and persons living with HIV in San Francisco and Oakland to hold the meeting in the Bay Area. Moreover, key political leaders in California all committed their support to AIDS 2020. We believe in this opportunity so much that we are committing our time over the next two years to fulfil important roles within the AIDS 2020 CCC and to make this committee one that is responsive to the needs of all people living with and vulnerable to acquiring HIV.
In assuming our roles on the CCC, we committed to planning an impactful AIDS 2020 agenda that allows us to celebrate and learn from our successes while constantly pushing for advances in science, programmes and policy. Over the coming months, we will be seeking your input, and working closely with the International AIDS Society and partners to ensure that the conference is as accessible as possible to all who wish to attend. We are committed to a global gathering that gives a voice to all communities, shares solutions, and advances the conversation to end this epidemic.
We are excited to head to the Bay Area of California, a part of the world deeply entwined with the history of the global AIDS response – an international hub of both activism and science. The Bay Area has been at the forefront of advances from basic science to treatment and prevention breakthroughs and has been at the frontlines of advocacy, fighting back against unacceptable policies. Through the unique partnership of Oakland and San Francisco we can show two sides of the same coin—the successes that San Francisco has had and the struggles that Oakland is still facing.
Every host city or country comes with its own immigration challenges and we recognize the specific challenges we face in the US. However, strong political commitment is the backbone of a meaningful and impactful conference. It was the unparalleled political leadership demonstrated by the State of California that helped secure the bid. California, and Oakland and San Francisco in particular, have a long history of resisting unjust policies, including immigration reform and refugee quotas.
With the selection of the Bay Area for AIDS 2020, we have the chance to elevate US and global HIV concerns on to the national and international stage. That includes shining a spotlight on and working to reform unjust policies that restrict entry into the US and other countries and perpetuate a climate of stigma and fear. This is a rare moment to put HIV and those most affected, including people of colour, minorities and the economically disadvantaged, at the centre of political discussion. It won’t be easy, but we will rise to the challenge and work together – as we always have – on fighting prejudice, racism, sexism and isolationism wherever it happens
While we recognize that we take different approaches to achieve the same goal, what has fundamentally made our community strong was the mutual underlying respect for one another. We are all fighting the same fight against HIV and we look forward to joining forces as the AIDS 2020 CCC to do this together.
Sincerely,
The AIDS 2020 Co-Chairs
Anton Pozniak, International Chair
Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust
United Kingdom
Cynthia Carey-Grant, Local Co-Chair, Oakland
formerly Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases
United States
Monica Gandhi, Local Co-Chair, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco
United States