2011 Caribbean HIV Conference Speakers Announced

Conference provides free venue for HIV stakeholders in the Caribbean to network and to hear from some of the most well-respected names in HIV

 NASSAU, The Bahamas, Oct. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Distinguished experts, public officials, and HIV community members will come together at the 2011 Caribbean HIV Conference (November 18–21) to focus on HIV in the Caribbean, where adult HIV prevalence is higher than in any region in the world outside of Sub-Saharan Africa (UNAIDS 2010 Global Report). Individuals from across the Caribbean are invited to attend this free conference to hear directly from authorities on the medical, social, and socio-political factors influencing the HIV epidemic in this region. Featured speakers and session moderators will include, among others:

-          The Honorable Hubert A. Ingraham, Prime Minister of The Bahamas

-          The Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams, Prime Minister of St. Maarten

-          Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, United States

-          Dr.  Jean William Pape, Weill Cornell Medical College, Les Centres GHESKIO, Haiti

-          Dr. J. Peter Figueroa, The University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica

-          Dr. Ernest Massiah, Caribbean Regional Support Team, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Trinidad and Tobago

-          Dr. Farley Cleghorn, Futures Group, United States

-          Ms. Geeta Sethi, United Nations Population Fund, Jamaica

 This event is the third Caribbean HIV conference in the past decade, and it is designed to build on successes of the previous events, which demonstrated that regional cooperation and collaboration are key to confronting HIV in the Caribbean. The multidisciplinary forum is designed to support local interests and education and is open to anyone who would like to attend, including:

• people living with HIV
• members of vulnerable groups
• researchers and clinicians
• allied health care professionals
• caregivers
• patient advocates
• advocates for social justice and health parity
• members of community- and faith-based organizations
• regional and international governmental representatives
• policy analysts and decision makers
• civil society and regional media representatives

 ”The conference provides a unique opportunity for attendees with diverse perspectives and backgrounds to share, learn, and network,” said Conference Co-Chair Daisy M. Gely, Professor, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico. “It provides a venue in which to examine the many factors influencing HIV in the Caribbean in order to move forward collectively in our effort to prevent the spread of HIV, mitigate its impact in the region, and improve our overall response.”

 The conference will be conducted in both English and Spanish. To view the full conference program, visit http://www.2011CaribbeanHIVConference.org/agenda; to register, visit https://www.2011caribbeanhivconference.org/Registration.

 More About the 2011 Caribbean HIV Conference:

The 2011 Caribbean HIV conference will take place from November 18–21, 2011, at the Atlantis Conference Center in Nassau, The Bahamas.

 The conference is sponsored by the Government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas; Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico; and Office of AIDS Research, NIH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to Prof. Gely, Conference Co-Chairs are Dr. Perry Gomez, Director, National AIDS Programme, Princess Margaret Hospital, Ministry of Health, The Bahamas; and Dr. Jack Whitescarver, NIH Associate Director for AIDS Research and Director, Office of AIDS Research, NIH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Partners for the conference include: Caribbean Community (CARICOM); Caribbean Health Research Council (CHRC); Caribbean Regional Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS (CRN+); Caribbean Treatment Action Group (CTAG); Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC) Coalition; Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); Kerzner International, National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC); Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO); Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP); U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR); Trans-Caribbean HIV/AIDS Research Initiative (TCHARI); and The University of the West Indies (UWI).