By Wallace Mawire.
Harare. (News of The South) – Efforts to build HIV research capacity across the African continent are gathering momentum as witnessed by on-going collaborative linkages between the international scientific community and local health experts in Africa.
It is in this context that the international scientific community is now coming on the ground to exchange information and ideas with local health experts in the continent.
The hosting of the 9th International workshop on HIV treatment, pathogenesis and prevention research in resource limited settings (INTEREST) 2015 meeting in Zimbabwe on 5 to 8 May, 2015 provides testimony to collaboration between international and local health experts.
The just-ended workshop follows on the successful hosting of the 2014 Interest workshop also held in southern Africa, Zambia in particular known as the African Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI).
According to Professor Catherine Hankins, International Organising Committee Chairperson from the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development and Professor James Hakim, Local Organising Committee Chairperson from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), the workshop held in Zimbabwe was dedicated to the memory of Professor Joep Lange and Jacqueline Van Tongeren who worked tirelessly to make huge strides in the fight against HIV in the world, with particular focus on the African continent.
“Professor Lange and Ms Tongeren of the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development were pivotal in the conception of the idea of the Interest meeting and its evolution into one of the best AIDS conferences on the continent. Tragically they were killed when the Malaysian MH17 flight was shot down over Ukraine on July 17, 2014,” according to the organizers of the meeting.
The workshops bring together scientists involved in HIV treatment, pathogenesis and prevention research in Africa to share pivotal findings, promote collaboration and transfer experiences across several fields and many continents.
“The Interest workshop held recently in Harare and previously in other parts of Africa focuses on HIV treatment, pathogenesis and prevention research in resource limited settings and in particular, issues of relevance for the African continent. It gives opportunities for young researchers to present their data. Prominent international experts in the field of HIV and related conditions such as TB and Hepatitis share their knowledge and views,” according to the organizers.
They added that the interest workshops are held in a different country in Africa each year.
“Interest has developed into a world class scientific conference that should not be missed,” said Professor Chris Beyrer, President of the International AIDS Society.
It is also reported that Interest workshop is a collaboration of Virology Education and the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development.
photo caption:Nathan Ford, a Scientific Officer with the Department of
HIV/AIDS and Viral Hepatitis at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in
Geneva, Switzerland addresses delegates at the just ended Interest
workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Picture by Wallace Mawire
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