Recent Accomplishments, Future Progress

amfAR CHAIRMAN IN ATTENDANCE AT THE 8TH TREAT ASIA NETWORK MEETING 

amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole was given a tour of the Research Institute for Health Sciences at Chiang Mai University by Dr. Thira Sirisanthana.

March 2009—More than 150 participants from 19 countries across Asia and around the world gathered in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for the 8th annual TREAT Asia Network Meeting, 18–19 October. The meeting was bracketed by workshops specific to the adult and pediatric HIV observational databases and the TREAT Asia Studies to Evaluate Resistance.

In attendance for the first time was amfAR Chairman of the Board Kenneth Cole.

"[TREAT Asia] is a model and an extraordinary story that should be told everywhere," said Mr. Cole in his welcoming remarks. "I'm so inspired by what you all do."

TREAT Asia Director Dr. Annette Sohn also offered a warm welcome to the participants before summarizing the Network's substantial progress in 2008. "Under the TREAT Asia umbrella, we have research, community, and education," said Dr. Sohn. "By far our highest priority is our research programs."

Dr. Arthur Chen, newly elected chair of the TREAT Asia Steering Committee.

One main focus of the meeting was to explore how to strengthen TREAT Asia's links to the HIV/AIDS community and broaden the scope of activities to better serve the needs of the network and the region. Meeting participants heard presentations on a range of important topics, including substance use and harm reduction (Dr. Adeeba Kamarulzaman), adult and pediatric antiretroviral resistance (Dr. David Cooper and Dr. Thanyawee Puthanakit), and improving links between the medical establishment and the community (Dr. Patrick Li and Dr. Rossana Ditangco).

Steering Committee elections heralded a change in the Network's volunteer leadership and an increase in community involvement. Dr. Yi Ming (Arthur) Chen of Taiwan's National Yang- Ming University succeeds Dr. Adeeba as chair of the Steering Committee, and Dr. Poh Lian Lim of Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore succeeds Dr. Li as co-chair. In addition, two new community representatives joined the Steering Committee: Orapin Niamnate from Thailand and Roberto Ruiz from the Philippines.

Dr. Thanyawee Puthanakit of HIV-NAT and the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Center, Bangkok.

The 2009 TREAT Asia Network Meeting will take place in Bangkok, Thailand, 9–12 October.