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We began to host the first conferences amidst chaos and economical crisis during the first years of reforms. Time showed that the annual conference idea has great vital force, enabling it to overcome all obstacles. Why hold the conference every year? A real conference is a moment of truth, revealing the actual status the problem at a particular moment in time. It is necessary to know the truth in order to find solutions for society’s problems. Therefore real conferences are in great demand, and our conference is included in this rank. The conference, in fact, has taken on the role of an ideological leader for HIV/AIDS issues in Russia.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic is truly a global problem and to resist it in Russia we should utilize international experience. Therefore, the conference is held with international participants in both Russian and English. The conference also aims to unite scientists, experts and activists who specialize in different fields related to HIV/AIDS issues and, therefore, speak different professional languages. Thus, we aimed to develop a multidisciplinary approach to the HIV/AIDS problem.
Each year, the conference has included about fifteen scientific sessions with different topics. Every following year, the session topics evolved. Table 1 shows a small sample from the list of topics discussed at the conferences within the framework of special sessions and seminars.
Table 1. Some sessions, seminars and symposia held within the framework of annual conference «AIDS, Cancer and Public Health»
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HIV vaccine, HIV molecular and cellular biology;
laboratory diagnostics, monitoring of HIV and opportunistic infections;
cytokines in AIDS, cancer and other diseases; pathogenesis and clinical issues of AIDS and cancer; human oncogenic viruses; molecular and fundamental aspects of tumor growth; stress biology, molecular and cellular aspects; experimental and theoretical biology; biotechnology; HIV epidemiology; HIV prevention; STD epidemiology and prevention; HIV epidemic among IDUs and possibilities of its prevention; psychological aspects of research and prevention in HIV/AIDS; the role of sociology in development of preventive programs; HIV/AIDS prevention research; human oncogenic viruses; biosocial aspects of AIDS; molecular design, directed synthesis, production of substances and therapeutics for HIV/AIDS; active preventive intervention as a strategy to fight HIV/AIDS epidemic; new molecular biology technologies; HTLV, HHV6, HHV7, HHV8; regional programs; experimental and theoretical biology; protection of interests of various communities in conditions of drug abuse and HIV epidemics; prevention of tuberculosis and concomitant infections; tuberculosis epidemiology and diagnostics; clinical care for STD/HIV patients and drug users; international ethical rules for biomedical research; role of interaction between state, non-governmental, commercial entities and communities in increasing effectiveness of anti-AIDS programs; social, legal and philosophical issues of HIV and AIDS; medicine and vaccine availability issues; HIV and AIDS pharmacotherapy; promotion of activities for prevention of emerging HIV epidemic among drug users in Russia; emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases ...
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Each conference has had a particular focus, depending on which HIV/AIDS issues were of most interest at the time. The first conferences were mostly dedicated to the issues of development of laboratory diagnostics and an epidemiological surveillance system. At the following conferences the most important aspects became issues of national policy and legislation, sexual education, HIV prevention among drug users, HIV vaccines, HIV and TB association, etc. Currently the conference includes more than fifteen sessions — from molecular biology to social issues. And every year the topmost issues are discussed at the conference. Here is a list of only some of them:
-HIV epidemiological surveillance concept in Russia (1993–1994);
-sexual education issues in school (1994);
-national AIDS-related legislation (1994–1995);
-concept of the national project on HIV vaccine development (1995);
-HIV prevention strategies for drug users (1996);
-concept of active preventive intervention as a national AIDS-related policy basis (1998);
-bioethics (2002);
-implementation of the HIV vaccine development project (1997–2001);
-tuberculosis and AIDS (2000-2003);
-public health care issues (2000-2005);
-STI`s in the Era of HIV (2005);
-AIDS and cancer vaccines (2005).
The Biomedical Center staff members, as the major conference organizers, never shied away from the most critical issues for discussion such as school sexual education or needle exchange for drug users. Two such discussions are worth of mention. The first was the role of antiepidemic measures, in particular, HIV screening, for fighting the advancing HIV/AIDS epidemic. At this discussion The Biomedical Center claimed that routine HIV screening is advisable as it allows for the provision of secondary prevention, that is, it facilitates prevention of the spread of infection by those who are already infected. Time and practice have proven this statement to be true. The second discussion regarded the laborious problem of HIV prevention among drug users. It is far from resolved. However, the conference organizers and The Biomedical Center staff thought and still believe that in modern society, such questions should be resolved through open discussion. Such discussion was for the first time organized in Russia by The Biomedical Center even before the HIV epidemic among drug users in Russia burst out. Many heads of AIDS Centers and addiction clinics used discussion materials published by The Biomedical Center as their handbook. Materials from the above mentioned and other discussions enabled Dr. A.P.Kozlov to formulate the fundamental concept of biosocial uncertainty (Kozlov, 2004).
The concept of active preventive intervention which we framed and which was for the first time presented at the 6th conference in 1998 emerged as a result of the work of many conferences. The concept, first of all, states that society should take an active position regarding the HIV/AIDS epidemic and implement specific measures at particular activity fields and on a necessary scale.
This concept of active preventive intervention for HIV/AIDS is also simultaneously directed at other infections and drug abuse. Thus, the active preventive intervention concept can become a constituent of the societal philosophy as regards various infections and unfavorable environmental factors with an epidemic pattern. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the parliamentary hearings on AIDS held on June 8, 1998, recommended the active preventive intervention concept as a basis of national policy for fighting HIV/AIDS.
The active preventive intervention must be multidisciplinary. Thus, a methodological multidisciplinary approach is necessary not only for studying HIV/AIDS but also for implementation activities aimed to stop the epidemic.
The multidisciplinary approach became a basis for preventive programs which are developed by The Biomedical Center in cooperation with St.Petersburg State University. This collaboration began at our conference.
The conference organizers think that their work is a special mission. Yet how well have they achieved this mission? The results of a special sociologic study conducted among conference participants provide an estimate. The study results are published in the journal «AIDS, Cancer and Public Health» (Vol. 6, No.1). The majority of participants answered positively to the question given above.
We would like to believe that there are many conferences ahead.
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