Over 100 experts to attend HIV summit in Dubai

Dubai - Healthcare leaders gather in Dubai to set roadmap for HIV Unmet Medical Needs in the Middle East

By Staff Report

Published: Wed 21 Dec 2016, 12:07 PM

Last updated: Wed 21 Dec 2016, 2:20 PM

The HIV Summit in the Middle East sponsored by Gilead Sciences has seen over 100 global and regional experts convene in Dubai this week to discuss clinical challenges and unmet medical needs in the management of HIV in the Middle East as well as strategies to reduce the prevalence of HIV in the region.
Rates of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are rising faster in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) than anywhere else globally. According to the latest data available from the Joint UN Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), there are 230,000 people living with HIV in MENA and there were an estimated 15,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2013, an increase of 66 per cent in the number of annual deaths since 2005.
The experts at the HIV Summit also aimed to explore the challenges to reach the UNAIDS target 90-90-90 and discuss the efficacy and safety of antiretroviral therapeutic strategies. A special focus was on optimising the management of HIV aging patients with one or more additional diseases and taking a number of medications.

Jacques Mokhbat MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases.
HIV healthcare leaders at the Summit shared insights and experience for optimising the management of patients living with HIV chaired by well-recognised scientific committee including Jacques Mokhbat MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Lebanese American University, School of Medicine and Sanjay Bhagani, BSc FRCP, a consultant physician in Infectious Diseases / HIV Medicine and General (Internal) Medicine at the Royal Free Hospital, London and Anton Pozniak, Consultant Physician and Honorary Senior Lecturer, Director of HIV Services, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial College of London.
Jacques Mokhbat MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Lebanese American University, School of Medicine said:

"There are a number of challenges in treating HIV in the Middle East and its prevalence is rising across the region. This Summit, coupled with co-ordinated action from government in the Arab States, signals our intent to answer these challenges and turn the tide on the spread of HIV."

Other topics under discussion at the Summit included HIV and epidemiology challenges in the Middle East, living with HIV as a chronic condition and recent advances in HIV treatments as well as national perspectives of HIV management in KSA, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Lebanon. A patient case forum was also held where representatives from KSA, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, UK and Germany discussed the treatment of HIV in real-world settings.

Dr. Samer El Ali, Medical Director, Gilead Sciences Middle East
However, clinical practice has identified that problems with follow-up or adherence exist among some patients, primarily due to disease related stigmatization. Creating and implementing specific, culturally suitable programmes that could appropriately address the denial and stigma in the region are the key to a timely and appropriate response to ending HIV epidemic.
The Summit inception follows endorsement by the Council of Arab Ministers of Health of the Arab Strategic Framework for the Response to HIV and AIDS (2014-2020) as well as national initiatives within HIV Programmes across the region.
All governments in the region have endorsed the 2011 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS, which provides a roadmap toward achieving the vision of ''zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths.'' In addition, a progressive, new and actionable Political Declaration on Ending AIDS has been adopted in June 2016 by Member States at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS.