Current challenges and recent developments in managing HIV / AIDS treatment will be the topic of September's Hartford HIV Forum. Kevin Dieckhaus, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine and HIV/AIDS Coordinator at the University of Connecticut Health Center, will be speaking on Tuesday, September 14 at noon at the Living Center, 1841 Broad Street. The event is free; lunch will be provided and advance registration is required.

Dr. Dieckhaus will present an update from the 15th International AIDS Conference, which was held mid-July in Bangkok, Thailand.

By attending the Hartford event, interested members of the public and health care professionals will learn about the current state of the epidemic and recently released research findings.

"We'll review the scientific data and discuss new medications, management of multi-drug resistant patients, metabolic complications, and other treatment issues," Dieckhaus said.

Dr. Dieckhaus will also talk about the challenges of providing medications to developing areas. In its 2004 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, UNAIDS announced that last year almost 5 million people became newly infected with HIV. Of these, an estimated 3 million occurred in people in sub-Saharan Africa. Burgeoning HIV epidemics are now appearing in countries such as Russia and China.

"Everyone agrees that we need HIV treatment access for all but no one agrees on how to best accomplish this," he noted.

This is the first lecture in the Fall 2004 series of forums organized by The Institute for Community Research and the Connecticut AIDS Education and Training Center. The Hartford HIV Forum meets from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m., on the second Tuesday of each month. The goal of the forums is to give the local community the most up-to-date information on current topics in AIDS prevention, treatment, research and care. To register for the forum, call The Institute for Community Research at 860-278-2044. Signing for the hearing impaired and Spanish interpretation are available with a minimum of ten days advance notice. For more information about the series, contact Peg Weeks at The Institute for Community Research at 860-278-2044 x229.

The Institute for Community Research is an independent, nonprofit organization which conducts applied research and community enhancement programs to promote equal access to health, education, and cultural resources. The Connecticut AIDS Education and Training Center trains providers with the goal of improving HIV clinical care. The Hartford HIV Forum is co-sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and GlaxoSmithKline.

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