Results of the Fifth International Eastern Europe and Central Asia AIDS Conference

The Fifth International Eastern Europe and Central Asia AIDS Conference (EECAAC-2016) took place in Moscow on March 23-25, 2016. The forum became the largest event on HIV prevention and treatment in the region – it was attended by 2 500 delegates from 79 countries, among them – the world’s leading scientists, politicians, civil society leaders, representatives of international organizations and the community of people living with HIV. The motto of the Fifth Conference – “Global Partnership in HIV/AIDS response: every life matters”.

EECAAC-2016 activities were divided into three tracks: “International Development Assistance”, “Science and Medicine” and “Civil Society”. By the end of the third day Organizing and Program Committees’ Co-Chairs adopted the outcome statement which appealed to the governments of EECA countries, international organizations, business community, religious organizations and civil society for putting together the efforts aimed at ending AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Women platform and UNAIDS Open Discussion Space were active during the three days of the Conference. Invited experts discussed the gender aspects of the epidemic as well as the role of the media and sporting activities in HIV response.

Video clips from UNAIDS Open Discussion Space are available here [RUS].

The Memorandum of Cooperation between the Russian Olympic Committee and UNAIDS was signed by the President of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé on the first day of the Conference.

The first day was also noted for the solemn handover ceremony of the mobile medical-diagnostic complex from the Russian Federation government to the Republic of Armenia. The ceremony was attended by Anna Popova, Head of Rospotrebnadzor, chief sanitary officer of the Russian Federation, Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director, and Andrey Bokarev, Director of the International Financial Relations department at the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. Gagik Mirijanyan, Armenian Deputy Minister of Health accepted the mobile clinic on behalf of the Republic of Armenia.

EECAAC-2016 was marked by two press conferences – one with the participation of Conference co-chairs and the other – with the key scientific experts.

On the third day of the Fifth Conference the Organizers held an award ceremony for the winners of EECAAC-2016 grant program, Best social video of the decade on HIV/AIDS contest and the finalists of the online competition for the best idea on promoting HIV prevention among young people.

Conference members supported the proposal for the Sixth Conference on HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to be held in Moscow in 2018.