ICASA 2011 - International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA)

The 16th International Conference on AIDS & STIs in Africa

“OWN, SCALE-UP & SUSTAIN”

The International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) will be held in Addis Ababa from 4-8 December 2011, under the theme OWN, SCALE-UP & SUSTAIN.

Background

ICASA is one of the major international AIDS conferences happening in Africa. Its current biennial hosting alternates between the Anglophone and Francophone African countries. ICASA 2008 was held in Dakar, Senegal. ICASA provides a forum for exchange of scientific knowledge, experiences and best practices in Africa and around the globe in all dimensions of HIV/AIDS and STIs. Most importantly, ICASA serves as a platform for sharing of progress towards universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support in the continent, which is the milestone of MDG 6.

Ethiopia, who has been selected by the Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) to host this 16th edition of ICASA, will host more than 10,000 participants from around the world including Heads of States and Governments, Eminent Scientists, renowned health workers, high-level policy makers, people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV), community and opinion leaders as well as activists working in the fields of AIDS, STIs as well as Tuberculosis & Malaria. It will also encourage the participation of young researchers, health care workers, and community representatives from the developing world by providing scholarships.

Objective

This High-Level Conference will seek to promote sectoral achievements in AIDS response and to strengthen the partnership among governments, civil societies, and development partners.

The specific objectives of ICASA 2011 are:

? To serve as an advocacy platform to mobilize African leaders, partners and the communities to increase ownership, commitment and support to the response.

? To provide a forum for exchange of knowledge, skills and consolidation of experiences and best practices in Africa and around the globe to scale up evidence-based response on HIV/AIDS/STIs, TB and Malaria to achieve the MDGs.

? To use as a forum to link and hold accountable political and national leaders, the scientific community, practitioners, communities, civil societies, the private sector and partners to scale-up and sustain the response.

? To create opportunities to define priorities and set policy and program agenda to enhance mobilization and effective utilization of resources.

Why Ethiopia?

Ethiopia is selected based on interest expressed by the government to host the conference, as well as set criteria including adequate logistics, security, communication, accommodation and conference venue. Ethiopia officially accepted the offer during a signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between the SAA and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in July 2009 in Lagos, Nigeria.

For the success of this important conference, the Government of Ethiopia has established a Secretariat that is exclusively working to this effect. Furthermore the government is highly committed to mobilizing Logistical and financial requires by engaging the private sector, international organizations and the community at large. In addition to financial mobilization, issues pertaining to venue, visa, protocol, customs, security, hotel and transportation are critical to the success of the conference. For this the government offices such as Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, Consular offices, Airport, Security, Tourism, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Ministry of Youth and Sports, etc are actively engaged.

Why ICASA 2011?

ICASA 2011 can serve as a platform where Ethiopia’s efforts in combating HIV as well as other sectoral achievements could be promoted at a global level. This is also a paramount occasion to further strengthen the partnership among governments, civil societies, communities, partner agencies and the global AIDS community, not just within the Region but also across the Globe.

Most significantly, the year 2011 marks the 30th year after AIDS was first discovered as a new disease; 10 years after the UNGASS Political Declaration on AIDS; and 5 years after the Global Declaration towards Universal Access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. In this respect, Ethiopia has a unique opportunity to provide a platform to review the collective progresses made towards universal access and attaining MDGs as well as the challenges facing the fight against the epidemic.

Outcome

The primary expected outcome of this international conference is to host a unique, professional and participatory conference that is able to mobilize the scientific communities, international leaders, activists, higher learning institutions, civil societies and others to elevate the knowledge on HIV/AIDS, STIs, TB and Malaria to a higher level. New and innovative research and findings in these areas are expected to be shared in this conference.