Wednesday 29 October 2008

Advance Notice: WorldAidsConference 2010 in Vienna

Following the World Aids Conference 2008 in Mexico City, Vienna will host the next WorldAidsConference from July 18-23 in 2010.

The World Aids Conference seeks impact on the emerging epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. 33.2 million people live currently with HIV, the majority in sub-Saharan Africa, 1.6 million in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Between 2001 and 2007 the number of HIV positive people has grown by 150% in this region.

Nearly 90% of the newly reported HIV diagnoses in this region in 2006 were from two countries – the Russian Federation (66%) and the Ukraine (21%). Numbers from the Central Asian countries are increasing continuously. Regarding the mode of transmission, as far as reported in 2006, it was attributed to injecting drug use in two thirds of cases, but in more than one third it was ascribed to unprotected heterosexual intercourse. Migration and trafficking makes particularly women highly vulnerable to become infected.

In the Austrian capital where 15 years ago the UN World conference on Human Rights took place, the link between HIV/Aids and Violations of Human Rights will certainly be a focus. The International Aids Society (http://www.iasociety.org/), the main organizer of the conference, hopes that political leaders, scientists, NGO activists and HIV positive people themselves will be able to participate and take the opportunity to present their work and ideas and exchange experience with actors of other world regions who are involved in the fight against the pandemic.
Development NGOs from new member states and accessing countries are invited to participate! Contact the Community Forum Austria (CFA), an NGO Network which prepares the civil society participation in the conference and the global village – an NGO Fair, where it will be possible to have a stand.

For further information on the 2010 conference please contact Christine Keplinger from CFA at keplinger@aids.at or have a look on the internet page of the upcoming conference: http://www.aids2010.org

Further links:
The Austrian Aids Assistance Organisation in Vienna coordinates the CFA: http://www.aids.at. The Austrian Action Alliance against HIV/Aids consists mainly of NGDOs working with HIV/Aids affected people in their projects and is part of CFA: http://www.aidskampagne.at. World Vision Austria is member of both networks: http://www.worldvision.at/

Information provided by Lisa Sterzinger, World Vision Austria, lisa.sterziner@worldvision.at

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