Exchanging the latest research findings to promote cross-regional cooperation and stop discrimination
HONG KONG SAR – 4 December 2023 – Every year, on 1 December, the world commemorates World AIDS Day. People around the world unite to show support for people living with HIV. The 7th AIDS Forum of Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau & Taiwan was held from December 4th to 5th, 2023, and successfully kicked off on the first day. On the opening day, Mr. John Lee Ka-chiu, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, congratulatory message via video and said that only by creating a friendly and non-discriminatory social environment can people suspected of being infected be encouraged to get tested for the virus as early as possible. Only in this way to help people living with HIV have the courage to receive treatment as early as possible. The number of new HIV infection cases in Hong Kong has also been showing a downward trend in the past seven years. Join hands to move towards the goal of “ending AIDS as a threat to public health by 2030” advocated by the United Nations Program on AIDS.
All honourable guests participated in the opening ceremony, wishing that parties from the 4 regions could continue to collaborate closely in AIDS management through sharing new research findings and achievements in the Forum. Over a hundred experts and representatives from non-governmental organizations also attend the two-day Forum and share the unique experiences, hoping to enhance the prevention strategies for AIDS and reshape society’s perception of AIDS issues.
Website of The 7th AIDS Forum of Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau & Taiwan: https://aids.org.hk/the7thaidsforum
The AIDS Forum has been co-hosted by four prominent and leading HIV/AIDS-related NGO every two years in various hosting cities since 2010. This year, the Forum will be hosted by the Hong Kong AIDS Foundation along with substantial support from counterparts from the Mainland China, Macau and Taiwan and is themed ” together, we create a stigma-free world”. It aims to promote collaboration among researchers, medical expertise, and non-governmental organizations. In addition to the strong support from Mainland China, Macau, and Taiwan, government officials, including Mr. Chen Zetao, the Deputy Director-General of the Co-ordination Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Dr LEE Ha-yun, Libby, JP, Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun, the Dean of Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Professor David HO, Director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center and Dr. LEONG Iek Hou, the Head of Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Bureau, Macao SAR, also attended the opening ceremony.
Dr. Che Hung Leong, the Chairman of the Hong Kong AIDS Foundation, delivered a welcome speech, highlighting the aspirations behind this year’s slogan, ” together, we create a stigma-free world”. He said that AIDS is not only a medical problem, but also a social problem. In the past, he has been committed to going into the community to educate the public on prevention, especially the importance of safe sex. Finally, we also call on our respective governments to continue their efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Over a hundred representatives and medical expertise attended to discuss the current AIDS situation in the four regions.
The Forum was divided into eight sessions, addressing the situation, treatment, prevention of AIDS, as well as the support services in the four regions. Support for people living with HIV, including the HIV Care Continuum & Beyond White Paper and the challenges of promoting PrEP in Asia. Roundtable discussions further explored opportunities for cross-regional cooperation in AIDS prevention and how various entities can prevent and control the virus. Each session involved representatives and leading minds in the medical field from the four regions who shared their experiences, aiming to strengthen the cooperation among related medical institutions, disease prevention and control centres, non-governmental organizations, and other social workers in the region.
Professor David Ho, the Director of Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center announced the Global AIDS Response Strategy
Professor David Ho, the Director of Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center shared insights from his decades-long personal journey fighting the global AIDS pandemic. Professor David Ho unravelled the dynamic nature of HIV replication in vivo and revolutionized our basic understanding of this horrific disease. This knowledge led him to champion combination antiretroviral therapy (cocktail therapy) that resulted in unprecedented control of HIV in patients. An automatic death sentence has been transformed into a manageable disease, and near 30 million worldwide are currently on such therapy. As one of the main founders of the ‘Pandemic Research Alliance’, his initiatives provide transformative solutions and contribute to the well-being of humanity.
Professor Chen Zhiwei, the Director of AIDS Institute and the Chair Professor, Department of Microbiology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong announced the development of AIDS vaccine.
Meanwhile, Professor Chen Zhiwei, the Director of AIDS Institute and the Chair Professor, Department of Microbiology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong announced the development of HIV vaccine during the Forum. He also discussed the current status of immunotherapy for curing HIV. Professor Chen has been actively participating in vaccine design and development, thus promoting cross-region collaboration in the field of public health.
Echoing UNAIDS’ current target, all parties join hands to achieve zero discrimination and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS.
The forum also focused on the treatment of patients, echoing UNAIDS’ current target: 95% of people with HIV who know their status will be on treatment and 95% of people with HIV on treatment will be virally suppressed by 2025. Through the implementation of online health support services and adhered to its philosophy of “People-centric”, the Forum aim to re-boost the early realization of “zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths and zero HIV-related stigma and discrimination by 2030” through the Forum particularly after the end of COVID pandemic.
