Asia Pacific AIDS & Co-infections Conference 2018 HIV PrEP

Professor Daniel Kuritzkes

Broadly neutralizing antibodies are being considered for treatment and prevention of HIV-1. They are antibodies that target one or other of the HIV envelope proteins. A number have been developed

David Cooper Memorial Lecture: Current efforts to control the epidemic in the region, Nittaya Phanuphak

This was a very powerful and fast-moving presentation. The main message would appear to be if we want to control HIV we need to get in there and do it! Nittaya advocated strongly that we need to highlight the gaps in our HIV prevention, particularly to PEP and PrEP provision and ensure that all at risk of HIV can access PrEP. She highlighted that in Thailand 4000 people are taking PrEP, but it is they estimated that to reduce HIV infection rates 1 million would need to be accessing it. The challenge is how to provide access to marginalised and hard to reach groups. Nittaya advocated for the de-medicalisation of HIV treatment and prevention through multidisciplinary working nurse led PEP, PrEP and treatment initiation. But key to the de-medicalisation is the inclusion of peers to provide support and treatment navigation service and facilitate same day provision.

It was an inspiring start to the 2018 APACC conference, with the first session foreshadowing conference highlights, and paying tribute to Professor David Cooper, who contributed so enormously to the field and the APACC conference itself.

The conference opened with a very heartfelt, moving and inspiring tribute to the late Professor David Cooper by close colleagues Dr Praphan Phanuphak from the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre and Dr Mark Boyd From the University Of Adelaide. Professor Cooper not only founded the internationally renowned Kirby institute, but was the first to campaign for HIV research in Australia in the 1980’s. Since then he continued until his passing to be a dedicated and globally respected researcher and advocate for HIV research in Australia and abroad; especially in the Asia Pacific region where he was involved with the development of the HIV-NAT research centre in Bangkok.