[Press Kit, International Conference on AIDS (13th : 2000 : Durban, South Africa), compiled by the International AIDS Society]

IAS
INTERNATIONAL
SOCIETY
Each measure that proved efficacious in reducing the spreading of infection and its
morbidity and mortality, was based on such biomedical discoveries. The dialogue on
social and political aspects had a limited influence on the epidemic control (that keeps on
spreading in the poor countries of the world), at least until now.
Even if biomedical science progressed enormously in particularly short interval of time
but this is just the beginning. The HIV/AIDS pandemic remains essentially uncontrolled
and the trend is increasing. An effective vaccine is still not available and the eradication
of the infection is still just a hope.
The IAS activity plays a substantial role in such a scenario also and particularly in order
to support the developing countries. That is possible not just through the actual
implementation of scientific advances in the knowledge of the infection but also through
the reinforcement of the research capacities via the scientific cooperation, education and
transfer of technologies and best practices.
The IAS has also the role to pursue a sort of scientific "activism" towards political and
governmental actors, with the advantage of being an independent organization that does
not need to mediate because of political or economical reasons. The IAS power is in the
validity of the scientific arguments that can be freely declared to influence the course of
the pandemic and alleviate its consequences in terms of suffer and pain.
The goals which have been met
Since its establishment, the IAS has met most of its goals:
* It steadily and democratically became the reference organization for scientists who
work in the area of HIV infection.
* The IAS kept on organizing the International Conferences on AIDS (warranting the
high quality of the scientific program and the raising of the large amount of funds
which are needed to arrange events which have 11-13,000 delegates on average).
Such conferences represent a real tool for improving the scientific knowledge that
take place in non industrialized countries as well.
* It organized the first Rome State-of-the-Art Conference, in September 1999.
* It fostered the implementation of regional conferences on HIV/AIDS in Africa, Asia
& Pacific and Latin America.
* It developed and implemented a program of continuing medical education on the
HIV infection directed towards countries in economical transition. The program will
be extended to developing countries when care will become accessible (SHARE).
* It developed an educational program to facilitate the exchange of scientific and
medical knowledge between rich and poor countries of the world.
* It fostered the birth on National Societies against HIV/AIDS in various countries,
e.g. India.