International AIDS Society (IAS) Press alert No. 1

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON IAS
What is IAS
The International AIDS Society (IAS) is a no profit organization which has been established during the
IV International AIDS Conference in 1988, in order to act as a real network of people working in the
field of HIV infection.
Since then, IAS has grown to include more than 10.000 members form more than 132 countries.
The main IAS role is to represent the International scientific community. Its mission is to unite all
parties in order to address the problems pertaining to the HIV/AIDS situation worldwide. Science is
the key password to understand and control the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as various progresses had
shown: early identification of modes of transmission, identification of HIV as the causative agent of
AIDS, introduction of diagnostic tests, better understanding of principal pathogenetic mechanisms,
highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) introduction, and the reduction of mother to child
transmission rates.
Some of recent IAS activities are: organizational responsibility for International AIDS Conference, that
is held every second year; organizational responsibility for a new series of conferences to be held in
years between the International AIDS Conferences, the first of which will take place in Buenos Aires in
July 2001; co-organizational responsibility for conferences that are organized on a semi-regular basis
and that try to break new ground in important areas and in areas that have been neglected; SHARE
program of continuing medical education (CME), that targets developing and middle level countries;
co-sponsorship with WHO and UNAIDS of a conference on drug access and treatment guidelines in
developing countries.
Who's who in IAS
Members from five geographic regions of the world elect five members every second and fourth year
who are the component of the IAS Governing Council. The IAS President is elected among the
members of the Governing Council which included some of the most distinguished scientists in the
field of HIV infection like A. Fauci, R. Gallo, D. Ho, J. Mann, and L. Montagner.
The.current IAS President is Mark A. Wainberg whilst Stefano Vella is President-elect and David D.
Cooper is Past President. Lars O. Kallings is the IAS Secretary-General.
For more information please contact
IAS Office, Aliwal Suite
IAS Secretariat In Durban
Phone no.: [phone]/2/3
Fax no.: [phone]
Andrea Tomasini 09-39-348 3709256
e-mail: [email protected]
Umberto di Luzio Paparatti 09-39-348 4152239
e-mail: [email protected]