Over 120 TREAT Asia adult and pediatric investigators, donors, and program partners came together in October in Hanoi, Vietnam, to review progress on the network’s research agenda, hear about regional HIV-related policy priorities, and plan for future initiatives. Over the past year, the network has implemented 19 different studies involving children, adolescents, and adults. These have addressed treatment optimization and outcomes, co-infections like hepatitis and tuberculosis, and cancers and chronic diseases. TREAT Asia cohorts have contributed data to HIV reports and analyses of the World Health Organization and UNAIDS, helping to ensure that patient and program outcomes from the Asia-Pacific are represented in these global activities.
Dr. Gerald Sharp (left) and Dr. Carolyn Williams of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the TREAT Asia network meeting, October 2016
“With the support and commitment of our network and funders, we have continued to advance our research, education, and advocacy programs,” said Dr. Annette Sohn, Director of TREAT Asia. “With 34 peer-reviewed publications, we had our most scientifically productive year ever.”
TREAT Asia network investigators and study staff Ms. Peggy Pei-Chieh Wu, Ms. Misao Takano, and Dr. Shinichi Oka at the annual network meeting, October 2016
The meeting included special presentations on a wide range of projects, including:
A pilot program of community-based peer-driven HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis for men who have sex with men, a new implementation science study supported by amfAR, presented by Dr. Rossana Ditangco of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in the Philippines;
Research and policy initiatives to fight HIV, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections in the Asia-Pacific, presented by Dr. Ying-Ru Lo, of the World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office; and
TREATAsia/IeDEA Asia-Pacific research in the context of the IeDEA global cohort consortium, presented by Carolyn Williams, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, US National Institutes of Health.
Slide presentations from the meeting are available at this link.
TREAT Asia Network investigators and staff in Hanoi [click to see larger version]
View additional photos of the meeting below.
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