IHRD Co-Organizes "HIV Treatment for Drug Users" Satellite During International AIDS Conference

Every tenth person living with HIV/AIDS worldwide was infected by a dirty needle. But access to life-saving HIV treatment, already limited globally, is even more limited for drug users. In countries where they represent the majority people living with HIV, drug users are routinely excluded from HIV treatment. Authorities rationalize this gap by claiming that drug users cannot be effectively treated, but available research tells a different story. Drug users, including injectors, can benefit from antiretroviral therapy as significantly as other people with HIV.

During the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, IHRD will host a satellite conference on "HIV Treatment for Drug Users – A Realistic Goal" in partnership with the Central and Eastern European Harm Reduction Network, the European AIDS Treatment Group, Gay Men's Health Crisis, the Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group (TTAG), and the Thai Network of Drug Users. Co-chaired by Jim Kim, M.D., director of the WHO HIV/AIDS program, and Karyn Kaplan, TTAG's international advocacy coordinator, the satellite will be held on Thursday, July 15 beginning at 6:00 p.m.

All conference delegates are invited to join international experts, people living with HIV, and others for this special session to share scientific evidence and practical lessons learned, and to discuss problems and solutions to scaling up HIV treatment for drug users.  Further information and a complete agenda is available by downloading the satellite invitation below, available in English and Russian.

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