On 9 June, ECDC will be hosting a technical side-event to the United Nations High-Level Meeting on AIDS 2011. The event will highlight how countries and regions with differing epidemiology could improve their responses to HIV/AIDS. Entitled 'Knowing your Epidemic -Knowing your Response: Strengthening Global and Regional Response to HIV/AIDS', the purpose of this side event is to share experiences in order to:

1. Improve responses to global and regional commitments on HIV/AIDS,
2. Ensure that commitments are translated into responses that are relevant to epidemiological contexts,
3. Ensure that global and regional commitments are linked and monitored appropriately.

HIV infection remains a significant public health issue in Europe. Since 2000, the rate of newly diagnosed HIV cases reported in Europe has more than doubled. It has been 10 years since the UN General Assembly held its Special Session on HIV/AIDS. UN Member States will come together to review progress and chart the future course of the global AIDS response at this High-Level Meeting on AIDS from 8–10 June 2011 in New York, USA.

ECDC is co-hosting this event with Estonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Brazil. Among the invited guest speakers and panellists are Anna Marzec-Boguslawska (Director, National AIDS Center, Poland) , Denis Broun (Director, Regional Office of UNAIDS for Europe and Central Asia), David Wilson (Director, World Bank HIV/AIDS Program) and Dutch AIDS Ambassador Marijke Wijnroks.

For details, see the side-event agenda.

Related links
Spotlight on HIV/AIDS
Dublin Declaration Report 2010
HIV Surveillance Report 2009
UN High Level Meeting on AIDS 2011