Premier forum on AIDS focuses on vaccine against HIV

An international conference on AIDS has gathered together over 900 global researchers, clinicians and specialists for the 2007 AIDS Vaccine Conference in Seattle.

The event is the premier forum for the exchange of scientific information relating to the difficult task of developing an effective vaccine against HIV.

Dr. Lawrence Corey the chairman of the conference says a preventive vaccine is essential to controlling the global AIDS epidemic and the conference provides a venue for international, interdisciplinary collaboration critical to the development of a global AIDS vaccine.

The conference will examine the entire spectrum of issues in AIDS vaccine development and deployment, including the global effort in preventative and therapeutic vaccines, the potential development of pediatric and adolescent vaccines, clinical trials in emerging countries, and the need for strong political and financial commitment to support the scientific development of a vaccine against AIDS.

This is the first conference to be organized under the auspices of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, an alliance of independent organizations around the world dedicated to accelerating the development of a preventive HIV vaccine.

At this year's conference the Enterprise will release its first comprehensive report, detailing the successes and efforts of global AIDS vaccine research over the last four years.

Dr. Jose Esparza, conference co-chair and interim head of the Enterprise says the conference will help scientists work as a global community of problem solvers in a spirit of collaboration.

The AIDS epidemic continues to spread around the world and the number of people living with HIV has increased in every region of the world.

According to UNAIDS, the most increases have occurred in East Asia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, where the number of people living with HIV in 2006 was more than one-fifth (21 percent) higher than in 2004.

For more information about the conference or for a complete program of the day's events, visit the AIDS Vaccine 2007 Conference website at http://www.aidsvaccine07.org/.