President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Elton John to Address AIDS 2012 Conference in D.C.

World’s Leading Scientists, President Bill Clinton, South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, philanthropist Bill Gates and humanitarian Sir Elton John to address the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. (AIDS 2012) and Some 25,000 Scientists, People Living with HIV, and Other Stakeholders expected to attend AIDS 2012

 Wednesday, 13 June 2012 (Washington, D.C., USA) – Organizers of the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) announced today that President Bill Clinton, founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States, South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, philanthropist Bill Gates, and humanitarian Sir Elton John, founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, will be among the high-level speakers who will join thousands of the world’s top AIDS researchers, community leaders, and other stakeholders in Washington, D.C. this summer. An estimated 25,000 attendees are expected to attend AIDS 2012, which will take place from 22 to 27 July under the theme Turning the Tide Together.

President Clinton will deliver keynote remarks at the closing session on Friday, 27 July. Sir Elton John will deliver a keynote address on Monday, 23 July.

In the last few years various research trials, including HPTN 052, TDF2, Partners PrEP, and iPrEx have demonstrated with solid evidence the efficacy of HIV treatment as prevention, while other studies are currently investigating the possibility of a cure for HIV.

“Thanks to these scientific advances, for the first time we have a real opportunity to make a major dent in the epidemic,” said Elly Katabira, International Chair of AIDS 2012 and President of the International AIDS Society (IAS).

“We are delighted to welcome the world’s leading AIDS scientists to AIDS 2012, and to have secured these high-level keynote speakers at this crucial time in the global response to HIV.”

The theme of AIDS 2012, Turning the Tide Together, has been selected to emphasize how a global and decisive commitment is crucial to change the course of the epidemic now that science is presenting promising results in HIV treatment and biomedical prevention. This biennial event is the world’s largest meeting on AIDS, where leading scientists report on the latest AIDS research, and together with implementers, community leaders and policymakers, help to identify next steps in the global response to AIDS.

“AIDS 2012 represents a unique occasion to mobilize policy makers, governments, NGOs, scientists, people living with HIV and civil society to join forces,” said Dr. Diane Havlir, U.S. Co-Chair of AIDS 2012 and Professor of Medicine at the University of California.

“Despite the global turbulent economic climate we cannot miss this historic moment, and it is vital to continue to attract funding to invest in AIDS research and promote programmes based on effectiveness and efficiency in order to optimize the use of resources,” concluded Havlir.

The full AIDS 2012 programme is now available through the conference website www.aids2012.org and significant parts of the programme – including webcasts of key sessions, speeches, slide presentations, abstracts, digital posters, session-specific and daily rapporteur reports, as well as workshop handouts and audio recordings, will also be online during the conference.

Some confirmed high level speakers at AIDS 2012:

President Bill Clinton, founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States

Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health, South Africa

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of the National League for Democracy, Burma, (video address)

Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services

Michel Sidibé, Executive Director, UNAIDS

Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator

Bill Gates, Bill & Melinda Gate Foundation

Sir Elton John, Elton John AIDS Foundation

Whoopi Goldberg, Actress

Kesetebirhan Admasu, Minister of State for Health, Ethiopia

Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, Canada

Benedict Xaba, Minister of Health,, Swaziland

ENDS

Conference OrganizationAIDS 2012 is convened by the International AIDS Society and the conference’s international partners: the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+); the International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO); the International Community of Women with HIV/AIDS (ICW) and the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC); Sidaction.

The U.S.-based Black AIDS Institute; the District of Columbia Department of Health (DOH); the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA); the National Institutes of Health (NIH); the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) at the White House; and the U.S. Positive Women’s Network (USPWN) are serving as local partners.

AIDS 2012: Join the conversation

Get the latest conference updates and share your thoughts and ideas through the Conference Facebook and Twitter. We are tweeting – @aids2012 – and hope many of you will tweet along with us, using #AIDS2012 to keep the conversation going. Become a fan of AIDS 2012 on Facebook and stay in touch with the latest conference updates and developments. Please visit www.facebook.com/aids2012 to become a fan. If your group or organization is participating in AIDS 2012, we welcome posts of photos and videos of your work on this page. Tell us why you are coming to Washington and what you hope to gain from AIDS 2012.

About the IAS

The International AIDS Society (IAS) is the world’s leading independent association of HIV professionals, with over 16,000 members from more than 196 countries working at all levels of the global response to AIDS. Our members include researchers from all disciplines, clinicians, public health and community practitioners on the frontlines of the epidemic, as well as policy and programme planners. The IAS is the custodian of the biennial International AIDS Conference and lead organizer of the IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 30 June– 3 July 2013.