A New Hurdle for HIV Survivors
The New York Academy of Sciences and UNAIDS will host a symposium focusing on the connection between HIV and noncommunicable diseases, such as diabetes and cancer.
Published May 20, 2016
NEW YORK, May 20, 2016 — On May 26, the New York Academy of Sciences and UNAIDS will present the HIV 2016: HIV and Non-Communicable Diseases - Opportunities and Challenges symposium to discuss how increased use of antiretroviral therapy for people with HIV has led to benefits-namely, longer lifespans-as well as challenges, like an increase in the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancers.
Often, these co-morbidities are driven by complex interactions between the inflammatory effects of HIV, biochemical consequences of antiviral medication, and the confounding effects of behavioral influences.
"HIV 2016: HIV and Noncommunicable Diseases provides a great opportunity to renew our commitment and build on our successes," says event speaker Luiz Loures, MD, MPH, Deputy Executive Director, Programme, UNAIDS; Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations. "People living with HIV are often vulnerable to noncommunicable diseases. It is a system failure if people survive HIV only to die of NCDs. In line with the philosophy of the Sustainable Development Goals, we now need to address the two epidemics together, building on what we have learned and achieved in the response to HIV. "
"We convened this symposium to engage various stakeholders, including researchers, clinicians, and policy makers, in a critical discussion around what we know about the development of noncommunicable diseases in people who are living with HIV, as well as what we can do to mitigate it" says Sonya Dougal, PhD, Director of Life Sciences, The New York Academy of Sciences.
The event will provide a provide an opportunity to explore the interaction between HIV, antiretroviral medication, noncommunicable diseases, and the medications used to treat them from biological and epidemiological perspectives. Speakers and attendees will also examine the benefits of unifying HIV and noncommunicable disease services in a range of geographic, political, and epidemiological settings.
For media inquiries, including requests for press passes, contact Diana Friedman (+1-212-298-8645 or dfriedman@nyas.org).
About The New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization that since 1817 has been committed to advancing science, technology, and society worldwide. With more than 20,000 members in 100 countries around the world, the Academy is creating a global community of science for the benefit of humanity. The Academy's core mission is to advance scientific knowledge, positively impact the major global challenges of society with science-based solutions, and increase the number of scientifically informed individuals in society at large. Please visit us online at www.nyas.org.