Invitation: ICOPA- 2006 New Delhi

[Guest guest]

International Conference on Opportunistic Pathogens in AIDS

ICOPA- 2006. New Delhi

Dear Colleagues,

Since the original description of the acquired immunodeficiency

syndrome (AIDS) in 1981 and establishing human immunodeficiency

virus (HIV) as its etiological agent in 1983, this infection has now

been recognized world wide. Almost every country has suffered from

this pandemic in many ways. The disease not only dwarfed all other

medical conditions, but also has been the greatest social enigma and

has shown its impact on the global economy. By the end of 2004, 39.4

million people were infected with HIV. Of the people living with

HIV/AIDS (PWA) 9 out of every 10 are in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

In Asia two most populated countries: China and India are biggest

reservoir of the disease. In India alone a cumulative total of

persons living with HIV infection has reached to 5.3 million

according to the official data by the end of year 2004. The actual

may be far more than this.

Discovery of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has been a

boon to the HIV infected persons, but this has posed a major

challenge to health workers. Due to HAART many more HIV infected

persons are living longer, but not all can afford it. Whether on

HAART or not the life time risk of contracting opportunistic

infections (OI) is extremely high. Several issues are involved in

the understanding of the interaction between HIV and opportunistic

pathogens, their diagnosis, treatment and prophylaxis. The risk of

AIDS associated opportunistic infections is more significant in

countries where HIV is endemic because of several inherent reasons,

including poverty, lack of safe drinking water, environmental

factors. The pattern of OIs also differs from country to country.

Therefore, this conference is planned to understand various issues

related to HIV associated opportunistic infections. We are

optimistic that almost every opportunistic pathogen will be covered

in this meeting and a consensus will be evolved to reconsider the

AIDS defining conditions and to include many more new pathogens in

the category of opportunistic pathogens, in reference to a

particular country.

With this background of the conference I on behalf of myself and the

organizing committee and the All India Institute of Medical

Sciences, New Delhi, cordially invite you all to this historic and

capital city of India to participate in this very important

scientific meeting.

I am also very happy to inform that International AIDS Society has

approved New Delhi as the venue for the 2008 World AIDS Conference.

Deadline for Abstract Submission: 31st January 2006

Please log on www.icopa-india.org to see the details of this

conference

Dr. Sarman Singh, MD.

Chairman Organising Committee

Head, Division of Clinical Microbiology

Department of Laboratory Medicine All India Institute of Medical

Sciences P.O. Box. 4938 Ansari Nagar New Delhi-110 029 India Phone:

2659 4977, 2659 4764, 2658 8484 Fax: 2658-8663, 2658 8641

E-mail: <ssingh56@...>