International Workshop on HIV Pediatrics 2021

In the past decade, there has been impressive success in the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission. However, we have not eliminated the problem of pediatric HIV infection, and much work remains to be done. Research in pediatric, adolescent, and maternal HIV infections is often a neglected area at major scientific HIV conferences, yet it is critical to achieving an AIDS-free generation.

While we have highly effective interventions to prevent HIV transmission, implementation has been incomplete. In 2015, 1.8 million children were living with HIV and 150,000 were newly infected with the disease worldwide. Even with the continued scale-up of preventive services, it is estimated that 2 million children will need antiretroviral treatment (ART) in 2021. Unfortunately, children are substantially less likely than adults to be diagnosed, engaged in care, and to access life-saving ART.

The treatment of pediatric HIV infection, particularly of infants and young children, remains complex and problematic. Rapid growth and organ system maturation, as well as emotional and cognitive changes that occur across the developmental spectrum from infancy through adolescence, complicate drug development, and administration. Adherence outcomes in children have been less than robust and mental health and behavioral issues are emerging as critical to understand and address in order to ensure the success of long-term treatment. Additionally, while fewer infected children are being born, there are increasing concerns about the long-term impact of in utero and post-natal exposures to antiretroviral drugs for those children who escape HIV. Currently, an estimated 20% of all infants born in sub-Saharan Africa are exposed to HIV and antiretrovirals during pregnancy and the post-natal period.

Young people account for half of all new cases of HIV infection worldwide, with adolescent girls and young women disproportionately affected. In sub-Saharan Africa in 2015, three out of four newly infected adolescents aged 15–19 years were girls. Adolescents living with HIV have been a particularly difficult group to reach. HIV was the leading cause of death among adolescents living in Africa and the second-leading cause of death in adolescents globally. The uptake of HIV testing among adolescents has remained low. Programs struggle to reach and retain adolescents in care and adherence to treatment has special challenges.

The pediatric HIV cure agenda is an important emerging area of research. Early infant diagnosis is increasingly available globally, enabling the earlier identification of infection and provides new exciting opportunities to study acute infection in children and promising cure strategies. The HIV Pediatrics Workshop is the only meeting entirely devoted to research in the prevention and treatment of HIV infections in infants, children, and adolescents, making it the premier forum for the world’s leading researchers.

General Information 

Practical Information 

The members of the Organizing Committee are a group of carefully selected experts and inspirational leaders in their respective fields. They meet frequently to discuss the scientific program of the workshop, identify interesting topics and candidate speakers, and review all submitted abstracts.

We are proud to present the members of the committee:

• Moherndran Archary, MBChB, DOH, FCPaeds, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

• Jason Brophy, MD - Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Canada

• Ellen Chadwick, MD - Childrens Memorial Hospital, United States

• Tsungai Chipato, MBChB - University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences, Zimbabwe

• Polly Clayden - HIV i-Base, United Kingdom

• Anita De Rossi, PhD - AIDS Reference Center, Italy

• Marinella Della Negra, MD - Hospital Emilio Ribas, Brazil

• Brian Eley, MD - Red Cross Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, South Africa

• Albert Faye, PhD - Denis Diderot University, Paris, France

• Rashida Ferrand, MBBS, MRCP, MSc, DRM&H - London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom

• Tessa Goetghebuer, MD - Hôpital St Pierre, Belgium

• Ali Judd, PhD, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom

• Valériane Leroy, MD - Inserm, Paris, France

• Chewe Luo, MD, PhD - UNICEF, United States

• Dorothy Mbori-Ngacha, MBChB, MMed, MPH - United Nations Children's Fund, South Africa

• Sharon Nachman, MD - SUNY Health Science Center Stony Brook, United States

• Paul Palumbo, MD - Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, United States

• Martina Penazzato, MD, MSc, PhD - WHO, Switzerland

• Ann Petru, MD - UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, United States

• Jorge Pinto, MD, DSc - School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil

• Natella Rakhmanina, MD, PhD, FAAP, AAHIV - Elizabeth Glaser Pediatrics AIDS Foundation / Children's National Medical Center, United States

• Theodore Ruel, MD - UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco, United States

• George Siberry, MD, MPH - United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United States

• Lynda Stranix-Chibanda, MBChB, MMED - University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe

• Tavitiya Sudjaritruk, MD, ScM, PhD - Chiang Mai University, Thailand

• Graham Taylor, MD - Imperial College, United Kingdom

• Claire Thorne, BA, MSc, PhD - University College London, United Kingdom

• Marissa Vicari - International AIDS Society, Switzerland

• Rachel Vreeman, MD, MS - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States

The members of Scientific Committee are hand-picked by the Organizing Committee and the workshop secretariat based on their significant contributions and commitment to the field. They assist the Organizing Committee by providing them with suggestions for speakers and topics. In addition, members of the Scientific Committee participate in reviewing submitted abstracts, and play an active role during the workshop as moderators and/or chairs of sessions.

Support Our Initiative

Financial backing helps us deliver an impactful meeting experience for the benefit of healthcare professionals and community representatives involved in HIV and pediatrics.
 
This collaboration plays a vital role in both the organizational as well as scientific success of the program.
 
To show your commitment to the cause and get in touch with us for a tailored support package, please contact Ms. Karin Siebelt at Karin@amededu.com or call +31 30 2307146.
 
Benefits of Support

By supporting this program, we can offer the following advantages for your company.* Please contact us for the most recent support level benefits for this program.
•    Symposium opportunities
•    Verbal acknowledgment during the program 
•    Discounted and complimentary registrations for your representatives
•    Company acknowledgment on digital meeting materials including but not limited to newsletters, flyers, program book, the streaming platform, and our website
•    Digital and printed advertising opportunities 
•    Social media shout-outs
•    Logo on the digital conference bag 
 
*Subject to the support level

HIV Pediatrics 2021 is endorsed by the following societies and organizations. Their support and collaboration are key to the success of this workshop!

If you would like your organization to endorse this workshop, please contact Lara da Silva Miguel at Lara@amededu.com. 

The International Workshop on HIV Pediatrics, Virtual, Netherlands, 16/07/2021-17/07/2021 has been accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME®) with 5 European CME credits (ECMEC®s). Each medical specialist should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.

Through an agreement between the Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes and the American Medical Association, physicians may convert EACCME® credits to an equivalent number of AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Information on the process to convert EACCME® credit to AMA credit can be found at www.ama-assn.org/education/earn-credit-participation-international-activities.

Live educational activities, occurring outside of Canada, recognised by the UEMS-EACCME® for ECMEC®s are deemed to be Accredited Group Learning Activities (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.