CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT

TRANSLATING EVIDENCE INTO ACTION: Connecting Connecting with communities, communities, policies, human human rights, gender, service delivery

SAHARA

2013
Dakar, Senegal An African Conference for African solutions in HIV/AIDS

Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal, 7 - 10 October, 2013

Some progress has been made in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The number of new infections has decreased, while access to antiretroviral treatment has increased. Nonetheless, there are more newly infected people than there are people who gain access to antiretroviral treatment. Furthermore, women and key populations (homosexual men, commercial sex workers) in Africa benefitted much less than the general population from the progress made. Thus, the gap between the state of HIV/AIDS today and the goals of UNAIDS' Getting to Zero (Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination, Zero AIDS- related deaths) remain important. Several factors contribute to hindering progress: fewer resources are available, research findings insufficiently influence action, the socio-cultural context and the human rights implications of HIV/AIDS are not fully understood and taken into account. Against this background, the 7th SAHARA Conference 2013 (SAHARA 7) will be held in Dakar, Senegal, and will address the above-mentioned issues. Prof. Cheikh Ibrahima Niang, SAHARA Director, West Africa Region, is chair of SAHARA 7 and will co-host the conference with the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) and Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD). Prof. Nancy Phaswana-Mafuya, SAHARA Director, headoffice, is the convenor and co-chair of the conference. The aforementioned co-hosts and other key conference partners, namely: SAHARA Eastern, Central and Southern Africa, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), International AIDS Society (IAS), Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) HIV Secretariat are working together to ensure that SAHARA hosts yet another inspiring conference contributing towards finding African solutions to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. What is unique about SAHARA 7? SAHARA 7 will make a unique contribution by going beyond knowledge sharing through focusing on practical methods on bridging the gap between evidence and action. In this regard, the conference will be characterised by interactive' hands on'sessions on how to transform cutting-edge scientific findings into successful programmes. Innovations arising from practical experiences; research and programmes conducted in different contexts; and applied versus theoretical tracks have been formulated around the 3D's (dissemination, diffusion and delivery). The tracks are: Track 1: HIV/AIDS Epidemiology - How to use evidence from HIV/AIDS Epidemiology (Knowing your Epidemic) to inform policy and programming. Track 2: HIV/AIDS, stigma and Human rights What are the effective methods to address HIV/AIDS

stigma and human rights and how to translate these into sustainable programmes. Track 3: Rethinking prevention - Bringing about a revolution in prevention based on a package of new priorities and good practices that better account for the needs of at risk/vulnerable populations). Track 4: Key populations - How to deal with contextual barriers in conducting studies to improve knowledge on key populations which would inform appropriate responses and their participation to decision making processes on prevention and access to treatment and on the respect of human rights. Track 5: Accessibility, uptake and adherence to treatment - Addressing systemic obstacles to delivery systems and community participation). Track 6: Accountability and Political Commitment - Addressing the decrease of financial resources and requiring a greater global commitment to transparency and good governance, better management and involvement of the civil society. Track 7: Gender - Reversing HIV/AIDS trends among women and advocating for better access to care and treatment for women living with HIV/AIDS within the African context of high maternal mortality). Track 8: Community responses - Bridging the gap between research evidence and populations; grounding evidence in socio-cultural contexts; and understanding socio-cultural context as a resource in the fight against HIV/AIDS). In line with the global directive to build capacity, a range of skills-building activities have been organised to empower key audiences on translating evidence into action. Key audiences include: a network of researchers, policymakers, African programme implementers, and HIV/AIDS service providers, such as AIDS NGOs, community leaders, women organisations, people living with HIV/AIDS, MSM activist, CSW organisations and the media.

The conference utilises a participatory approach and therefore target groups are already working hard to make the conference a milestone towards the practical use of the lessons learnt, the acceleration of AIDS prevention, the universal access to treatment and the recognition of women and key populations' rights to health. Interactive sessions will, among others, include: 'Diiso*' community space: Interactive open forum for community members and stakeholders (with the participation of religious leaders, commercial sex workers, people living with HIV/AIDS, members of the civil society, etc.). Interactive satellite sessions and round tables: knowledge sharing between those who work on HIV/AIDS and those who work on other health problems. Artistic performances, exhibits and movie projections Conference proceedings Submissions will be double blind-reviewed by a review committee who will decide on the acceptance of the proposed abstracts. The proceedings will be published in electronic format with an ISBN reference and will be available for distribution. We look forward to welcoming you at SAHARA 7! CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT: SAHARA Telephone: +27 (0)41 399 8704 (South Africa) and +221 (0)33 825 1957 (Senegal) Fax: +27 (0)41 399 8711 Website: http://www.sahara.org.za/conferences/2013 E-mail: saharaconference@hsrc.ac.za