Ethiopia Finalizes Preparation to Host International Conference on AIDS, STIs in December

In early December, Ethiopia will play host to the 16th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA). The theme of this year's meeting in Addis Ababa is "Own, Scale-Up and Sustain."

Ethiopian Health Minister Tewodrose Adhanom said Thursday that 4,200 people have confirmed their attendance at ICASA, but the final number of participants could be as high as 10,000. Policy makers, scientists, and advocates will share knowledge, experience, and best practices on HIV/AIDS and other STIs in Africa at ICASA, he said.

Yigeremu Abebe, president of ICASA 2011, said the conference represents an opportunity to review commitments and mobilize resources for fighting AIDS in Africa, home to around 68 percent of the world's caseload.

First held in Brussels, Belgium, in 1986, ICASA most recently convened in Senegal in 2008 with the theme "Africa's Response: Face the Facts."

For more information, visit www.icasa2011addis.org.

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