We are the IAS
The IAS unites the global HIV response because progress happens when science, policy and activism come together
We convene leading minds to accelerate scientific discovery.
We advocate for evidence-based and stigma-free policies.
We educate change makers to ensure the global HIV response follows the science and puts people first.
We do this by hosting the world's most significant HIV conferences and through our programmes
Our conferences
The International AIDS Conference Find out more
The IAS Conference on HIV Science Find out more
HIVR4P, HIV Research for Prevention Find out more
Our programmes
Closing scientific gaps
Disseminating the latest research
Improving health services
We strive for a world in which HIV no longer presents a threat to public health and individual well-being
Our journey:
The first International AIDS Conference put the spotlight on the emerging pandemic, addressing the challenges of responding to it. The conference was supported by the World Health Organization, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and major research institutions. It was led by top scientists and public health officials.
The IAS was established to organize the quickly growing International AIDS Conferences, facilitating discussions on latest research findings. It presented itself as the voice of the global scientific community, offering a rational perspective amid panic and stigmatization.
In Montreal in 1989, the scientific debates were supplemented by activist demands for a federally funded AIDS strategy and greater involvement in clinical research and conference planning. Activism assumed an even greater role in San Francisco in 1990 when frustration with the US Government’s inadequate pandemic response was loudly heard. Civil society engagement was here to stay, and the IAC became the world’s main platform for HIV science, policy and activism, a mix that came to be seen as its main strength.
The world’s most influential meeting on HIV research and its applications, later called the IAS Conference on HIV Science, presents critical advances in basic, clinical and operational HIV research that move science into policy and practice.
Apart from convening conferences, the IAS expanded to address critical issues year-round to advance the HIV response by integrating programmatic work dedicated to advocacy and policy. Today, the IAS manages 11 programmes designed to close scientific gaps, improve health services, and disseminate the latest research.
JIAS was established as the IAS in-house journal to propagate an evidence-based HIV response and drive research in resource-limited settings.
The IAS launched the Educational Fund to keep local stakeholders in the HIV response up to date on HIV research. Aware that it is not possible for many around the world to attend an IAS conference, the Educational Fund brings the latest scientific insights and know-how to people who may otherwise struggle to access them. The meetings are free and take place in local languages.
The 4th HIV Research for Prevention Conference, hosted by the IAS for the first time, brought together over 1,800 delegates from 92 countries virtually to focus on the latest research on HIV prevention. The conference showed the enormous contribution of HIV research and trial infrastructure to developing COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.
In its efforts to support a global HIV response that leaves no one behind, the IAS decided to rotate its conferences to ensure that the in-person component of all its conferences travel equally to all five defined regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America.
Our core values:
Put people first
- We are independent and ultimately accountable to people living with and affected by HIV.
- We weigh and measure our actions against their impact on people’s lives.
- We champion an environment that empowers all to be part of the conversation.
- We respect the lived experiences of all and foster a diversity of perspectives.
Build bridges & collaborate
- We unite disciplines, sectors and people at all levels to drive progress in the HIV response.
- We build trust by sharing knowledge and being transparent.
- We hold ourselves individually responsible for the collective excellence of our work.
Be evidence-based & open-minded
- We follow the science and promote evidence-based dialogue.
- We intentionally seek out data to inform our attitudes, decisions and actions.
- We evolve by challenging our biases and encouraging curiosity.
Help us galvanize the scientific response, build global solidarity and enhance human dignity for all those living with and affected by HIV.
