Scope and Objectives

This track covers research in the area of epidemiology of HIV, risk factors, determinants of transmission of HIV, natural history, social and behavioural interventions as well as health systems research and evaluations of public health policies and strategies. 

1.Epidemiology:

·         National Estimates on mortality

·         Natural history and disease progression

·         Modeling

·         HIV surveillance systems 

2.  Prevention:

·         Microbicides

·         Prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT),post exposure prophylaxis in the prevention of HIV infection, HIV positive prevention among persons living with HIV/AIDS and male circumcision and HIV prevention

·         Control of sexually transmitted infections (STI) condom promotion and distribution and use, Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT), Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS and Drug abuse, alcohol use and HIV infection

·         Mass Mobilisation, mass communication, stigma and discrimination

·         Prevention through abstinence, Prevention of HIV in marginalised groups, prisoners, adolescents, men who have sex with men, women who have sex with women, immigrants, refugees, other forcibly displaced people and sex workers, programmes designed to targeting Men/Women 

3.  Health Systems:

·         Impact of HIV/AIDS on health workers and Human Resources in Health

·         Community Participation and HIV prevention

·         Financing of HIV/AIDS programmes and procurement of drugs and condoms

·         Role of private sector in health services provision

·         Integrating traditional healers into health care

TRACK 4: Social and Economic Sciences. Human Rights and Ethics

Chairperson: Ms Catherine Slack This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Co-Chairperson: Prof Vasu Reddy This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

 Scope and Objectives

This track aims to explore and provide insights into some socio-economic factors that impact on the country’s response to the AIDS pandemic. Further, it is expected that presentations in this track will contribute to the dialogue around AIDS and Human Rights issues as well as highlight some ethical factors that need to be considered in the development and implementation of strategies and policies on HIV/AIDS. 

1.  Food security and other aspects of the socio-economic impact of AIDS

·         Food Security

·         The socio-economic impact of AIDS

 ·      micro and macro impact of AIDS

·         Cost-effectiveness of prevention, care and treatment programmes

·         poverty and HIV

·         Social Exclusion and provision of social security and HIV/AIDS 2.  Human Rights and Ethics

·         Ethical and human rights considerations of promoting the use and research of complimentary and traditional medicines

·         Human Rights, Ethics and Laws that promote non-discrimination

·         Human rights and ethical considerations in scaling up VCT

·         Legal and ethical protection of vulnerable groups, gender violence and sexuality

·         Media and Ethics

·         Mental health and HIV/AIDS 3.  Role of Civil Society

·         Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), treatment and care programmes

·         Models of Care

·         The role of civil society including PLWHAs in the National AIDS response 

 TRACK 5:  Practices and Programmes

Chairperson: Prof Nigel Rollins This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Co-Chairperson: Dr Astrid Dearham This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Scope and Objectives

This track gives an opportunity to people involved in initiatives and projects at the coal-face of the epidemic, and who are not necessarily academics or researchers, to share their valuable and practical experiences with others in the field.  The track covers evidence based policy and practice, and models of prevention, treatment, care and support activities in communities, the workplace, and the media.  Abstracts are also invited on: innovative monitoring and evaluation programmes; best practices in care and support of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC); integration of HIV prevention and care into other programmes (TB, STI, reproductive health, etc), ART programme implementation and outcomes, community-led interventions for prevention and care; and the role of media and communication in HIV in prevention, treatment and care.  

Papers of Interest:

Abstracts that explore practical experiences and lessons learnt (rather than simple descriptions) from both successes and failures and present best practices of implementing programmes in public, private and community based settings are encouraged . The measurement of project successes, analysis of challenges/ failures and barriers to up-scaling/ expansion and turning the tide of the epidemic would be of particular interest in:

·         Reporting on research findings

·         Reporting on strategies or projects 

TRACK 6:  Community Exchange Encounters

Chairperson: Dr Peter M. Mathebula This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Co-Chairperson: Mr Mandla Majola This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Scope and Objectives

The past 25 years have brought a great deal of suffering to individuals, families and communities due to HIV and AIDS. But they have also brought new opportunities for transforming relations with, between and within communities. Community advocacy has contributed too much of the progress which has been made in the arena of human rights, technological interventions for treatment and prevention and best practices for care and support.  In this track, communities are broadly defined to include people living with HIV, impacted by HIV and AIDS, people vulnerable to HIV infection, those who interact with communities on issues relating to HIV and AIDS.   The community encounters track has three main threads: 

1. Taking stock - Thinking futures

 ·         Impact of HIV - What is HIV doing to our communities

·         Which are the specific points of vulnerability for our communities

·         What is to be done to deal with realities brought by HIV and AIDS 

2. Where communities lead (Community exchanges and best practices)

·         Innovative community led interventions on areas including

·         Prevention, treatment, care and support

·         Human rights, stigma and discrimination

·         Community participation in policy-making processes and health systems

·         Advocacy and community mobilisation

·         Building community HIV and AIDS literacy 3. Communities in dialogue:

This section of the track will ask the central question of how best to ensure community participation in policy making, research and priority identification processes