Track Descriptors

Track A: Basic Science (Biology & Pathogenesis)

Description: This track will encompass all aspects of fundamental HIV biology and the host response to HIV. Areas of focus will include HIV infection and replication, transmission, genetics, evolution, structure and function, pathogenesis, adaptive and innate immune responses to HIV, genetic susceptibility to HIV, interaction of micronutrients, co -infection and progress in animal models. Pre-clinical vaccine, microbicide, and drug development will be important themes of this track.

HIV evolution, viral diversity and bioinformatics

A1. HIV-1/2: Origins, evolution, diversity and response to ARV

A2. Molecular epidemiology of HIV diversity

A3. Bioinformatics analysis of HIV diversity and drug resistance

Immunology of HIV

A4. Innate immune responses and function in natural history of HIV infection

A5. Humoral immune responses and function in natural history of HIV infection

A6. Cellular immune responses and function in natural history of HIV infection

A7. Immune responses in resistant cohorts: elite controllers and exposed uninfected

Transmission and Pathogenesis (HIV-1/2)

A8. Viral determinants of HIV pathogenesis

A9. Acute and early HIV infection

A10. Animal models of transmission, disease resistance and progression

A11. HIV transmission (mucosal and mother to child transmission; other transmission)

A12. Ageing and HIV

Host genetics and HIV infections

A13. Host genetics of resistance and susceptibility and restriction factors

HIV: Co-infections and emerging pathogens

A14. HIV super-infection

A15. HIV co-infection with TB and other pathogens (Hepatitis B, C, HPV...)

A16. HIV interactions with emerging and other opportunistic pathogens

HIV: Drug development and resistance

A17. HIV drug development: Synthetic, traditional and microbicides

A18. Molecular mechanisms of drug action and antiviral drug resistance and drug interaction

A19. Nucleic acid based HIV and SIV therapies

A20. Targeting and HIV persistence during ART (cure strategies)

Vaccine development

A21. Clinical trials in HIV vaccine development

A22. Animal models for vaccine development

Interaction of micronutrients and HIV infection

A23. Effect of micronutrients in HIV and AIDS pathogenesis, transmission and treatment

A24. Mechanisms of micronutrient and HIV interactions

Diagnostics tools development (for use in resource limited settings)

A25. Novel assays of immune responses in HIV and AIDS

A26. Novel assays and cost effectiveness tools for virological monitoring

A27. Rapid and cost-effective HIV screening and diagnostic methods

A28. HIV drug resistance testing

Characterization of HIV latency and viral reservoirs

A29. Measurement of HIV/SIV reservoirs

A30. Host cellular latency

A31. Targeting and eradication of reservoirs

Track B: Clinical Science, Treatment and Care

Description: This track will analyze clinical features of opportunistic infections, malignancies, severe bacterial diseases, co-morbidities in people living with HIV. Issues in antiretroviral therapy, response to ART, adherence, retention, long term follow -up, management of side effects, ART in specific populations (adolescents, Elderly, pregnant women) will also be addressed. Emerging topics such as aging, frailty and in other age-related comorbidities such as cardiovascular, renal, neurocognitive, bone mineral and metabolic diseases will be discussed. Issues of resistance and management of failure including salvage therapy which is a concern in resources limited settings will be addressed.

Abstract Categories

Clinical course of HIV infection and disease

B1. Natural history of HIV Disease including markers of HIV Disease progression

B2. Challenges associated with pre-ART patient care

B3. Morbidity and mortality/life expectancy during ART

B4. Acute and early infection

Diagnosis and management of co-infections/co-morbidities

B5. Co-infections (TB, Hepatitis, STIs, Cryptococcus, bacterial diseases, leishmaniosis, Malaria and others)

B6. Prophylaxis against common infections (CPT, IPT, antifungal)

B7. immunization in HIV infected people

B8 .Diagnosis and management of Hepatitis B/C

B9.Tools for diagnosis and management of infections: point of care

HIV and NCDS

B10. Diabetes, cardiovascular, renal diseases, bone mineral diseases, HIV and neurocognitive disorders)

B11. HIV and malignancies

B12. HIV, Ageing and Fragility

B13. Diagnosis and management of STI

B14. Syphilis, HPV and others

Antiretroviral therapy

B15. First line therapy (when to start, what to start with, durability)

B16. ART monitoring strategies

B17. Treatment failure: drug resistance, second line therapy and salvage therapy

B18. Adherence and retention

B19. Antiretroviral therapy in children

B20. HIV management in adolescents

B21. Antiretroviral therapy in pregnant women

B22 Antiretroviral therapy in elder populations

B23. Adverse effects of antiretroviral therapy including immune reconstitution syndrome be sure Track C integrate this (quality of life…)

B24. HIV-2, HIV-1+2 infections

B25 Management of HIV infection in Key Populations

B26. Cost effectiveness of ART

B27. Antiretroviral therapy to prevent HIV-Transmission

B28 ART maintenance simplification

Palliative care and nutrition

B29. Pain management and end of life care

B30. Clinical nutritional care in HIV infection

B31. Home and community based care and support

B32. Other Strategies and Therapies (traditional medicine, spiritual care)

Clinical guidelines, tools and algorithms

B33. Country adaptation of global HIV diagnosis and treatment guidelines

B34. Diagnosis and monitoring tools

Track C: Epidemiology and Prevention Science

Description: This track will focus on HIV and AIDS prevention research and issues related to the design, implementation and evaluation of prevention programs to reach the SDG. It will include examination of Research, methodological and programmatic advances in the continuum of prevention, particularly best practices in HIV prevention for vulnerable populations in resource-limited settings. Strategies to put HIV prevention research into practice, efforts to promote preparedness for bio-medical prevention technologies, and research on new prevention approaches including microbicides, vaccines, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis, circumcision and other methods will be presented. This Track will also address co-morbidities (Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, and STI’s, communicable end emerging diseases) and emerging.

Abstract Categories

Basic HIV Epidemiology

C1. Natural history of HIV

C2. HIV prevalence and incidence trends

C3 Trends in morbidity and mortality trends

C4. Risk factors for acquisition of HIV, geographic heterogeneity and contextual

C5 Epidemiology in general population including sero different couples

C6 Epidemiology of HIV in youth, adolescents and children

C7 HIV in most at risk populations (sex workers, MSM, prisoners, UD including PWID, migrants)

Epidemiology of HIV co‐morbidity and emerging diseases

C8. HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI)

C9. HIV and Tuberculosis co‐infection

C10. HIV and Malaria co‐infection

C11. HIV and Viral hepatitis

C12. HIV and non‐communicable diseases

C13. HIV and associated cancers

C14 HIV and other Opportunitistic Infections (OI)

C15 Epidemiology of emerging diseases

Social Epidemiology of HIV

C16. Sexual behavior, vulnerability and Most at Risk Populations (MARPS)

C17. Socio‐cultural and economic determinants of HIV

C18. Relapse of risky behaviors with the advent of ART

HIV/AIDS Surveillance and Monitoring and Evaluation

C19. Modeling HIV epidemic in the advent of ARTC

C20. HIV and AIDS surveillance: Routine, sentinel and second generation

C21. Surveillance of opportunistic infections, ART drug resistance

C22. Population‐based HIV sero epidemiologic studies, and measuring new HIV infections, including in children

C23. Monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programs

Methodological Issues and Capacity‐Building in Epidemiological and Prevention Research

C24. Novel research designs in HIV and AIDS

C25. Ethical and human rights issues in epidemiological and prevention research

C26. Measuring and modeling the impact of the HIV epidemic

C27. Methods aimed at measuring recent HIV infections and HIV incidence

C28. Surveillance systems and methods including geographical information system

C29. estimation of the size of KP

HIV/AIDS Prevention Programmes

C30. HIV testing services

C31. Elimination of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission

C32. Prevention programmes in institutional and community settings

C33. Prevention programmes for immigrants, mobile and displaced populations

C34.Integrated prevention for PLHIV

C35. HIV Prevention technologies

C36. New approaches for HIV prevention

C37. Integrating HIV prevention into reproductive health, care, support and treatment programmes

C38. HIV Testing and diagnosis strategies

Diversified prevention tools

C39. PeP

C40. PrEP

C41. TAsP

C42. Microbicides

C43. Ehealth

C44. VMMC

Track D: Law, Human Rights Social Science and Political Science

Description: This track aims to highlight new knowledge and address gaps in the translation of behaviourial and social science evidence into practice, and to contribute to the building of theory and understanding in HIV-related social science. The track also aims to promote understanding of the individual and social determinants of HIV-related risk, vulnerability and impact, to inform development of effective and sustainable HIV responses that are based on human dignity and individual entitlements. This track will feature research, analysis and evaluation on psychosocial factors that shape individual attitudes, experiences, and behaviors; social and structural factors that shape vulnerability and risk; social and cultural norms that underlie individual risk and community vulnerability; programmes that promote acceptation of human diversity and fast track access to HIV and STI prevention, treatment, care and support; social and structural factors that shape vulnerability; and methods and outcomes of individual and community engagement, leadership, empowerment, and self-determination

Abstract Categories
Human rights, law and ethics

D1. The Law, protection and empowerment of PLHIV and vulnerable populations

D2. Human rights and HIV services for vulnerable populations

D3. Human rights, ethics and use of antiretroviral drugs for treatment and prevention

D4. Children’s rights and HIV

D5. Sexual rights and citizenship

D6. Human rights, HIV testing, policy and practice

D7. Human rights, culture and religion and HIV

D8. Social, behavior, culture and harm reduction

D9. Ethics, law and research

D10. Ethics, clinical services, public health policy and programmes

D11. Ethics, human right, access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care

Stigma, Discrimination and the Legal Environment

D12. Experience and impacts of HIV-related stigma

D13. Intersecting stigmas and marginalized identities

D14. Racism, ethnicity-based social exclusion and HIV control

D15. Homophobia and transphobia

D16. HIV related stigma, discrimination and access to justice

D17. Stigma, discrimination, key and vulnerable populations affected by HIV

D18. Stigma, social attitudes, media and public debate

D19. Punitive laws, its enforcement and HIV risk

D20. Legal protection of people living with HIV, key and vulnerable populations

Sex, Sexuality, gender relationship and HIV

D21 Gender equality and gender equity

D22 Sexualities and sexual cultures

D23 Adolescents, young people, sex, sexuality and relationships

D24 same – sex- attracted, bisexual and queer people

D25 Gender issues and gendered relationships

D26 Feminity, masculinity and transgender issues

D27 Relationships, partnership, concurrency and sexual networks

D28 Sexuality, gender and new prevention technologies

D29 Sex, sexuality and HIV co-morbidity

Policies, Programs and HIV response

D30 Polity, politics and HIV control

D31 Harm reduction policies and politics

D32 Access to HIV management

D33 Policy development, implementation and evaluation

D34 Policies for HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care, protection and support

D35 Policies and socio-economic determinants of vulnerability

D36 HIV policies and the workplace

D37 HIV policies and educational institutions

D38 HIV policies and intellectual property

D39 HIV treatment access and TRIPS

D40 Policy analysis and indicators of policy effectiveness

D41 Monitoring and evaluation of policies and their impact

D42 Evidence–informed advocacy for policy formulation and review

Social theories and knowledge production

D43 HIV prevention theories and approaches

D44 Social and behaviourial science collaboration

D45 Methods in social and behaviour surveys

Communication, mass media and popular education

D46 Stratégies de communication sur le VIH et le sida

D47 the media and HIV and AIDS

D48 Digital media, social networking and HIV prevention, treatment, care and support

D49 HIV, media, culture and religion

D50 Media and policy making

D51 Inter- organizational communication and knowledge transfer

D52 intergenerational communication and HIV

Socio-cultural determinants of HIV

D53 Structures familiales, parenté et réseaux de sécurité sociale chez les populations clés et vulnérables

D54 Pratiques traditionnelles néfastes et VIH

D55 Jeunes, mondialisation et VIH

D56 Croissance, développement, image corporelle et VIH

D57 Commerce du sexe, récession mondiale et VIH

D58 Approches traditionnelles et complémentaires dans la riposte au VIH

Structural determinants of HIV

D59 Poverty, social and socio-economic structures and HIV

D60 Addressing a feminized epidemic

D61 Fertility, family planning, reproductive health services and HIV

D62 Reproductive rights, health and HIV

D63Family-centered approach to HIV care and support

D64 Conceptualizing social and structural factors and their impacts

D65 -Poverty, wealth. Income inequalities and HIV

D66 Dynamics of social status and power

D67 Gender, age, ethnicity, disability and HIV

D68 Economic transitions, socio-cultural changes and HIV risk

D69 Social dynamics, intergenerational differences and HIV

D70 Migrants, migration and population dislocation

D71 Violence, conflict and HIV

D72 Humanitarian disasters and HIV

D73 Gender based violence and HIV

D74 Prisons, closed settings and HIV

TRACK E: Health Systems, Economics and Implementation Science

Description: This track will aim to provide new insights into the status of the health systems and its capacity and challenges to expanding treatment and prevention in resource-limited settings. At the same time, issues related to health economics, integration of health programs, country ownership of national health and HIV programs, and advancement of a comprehensive and integrated approach to health and rights will be discussed. This Track must show the need for a holistic vision of the fight against the disease by the effective strengthening of health systems. The verticalization of the fight is not a proper and appropriate response in a context where we have recurrent epidemics.

Abstract Categories

HIV and health system strengthening

E1. Leveraging the AIDS response to strengthen health systems and improve other health outcomes

E2. Developing Africa’s response to the crisis in human resources for health

E3. Procurement and supply

E4. Role of community organizations in linking people to HIV services and strengthening the health system

E5. Increasing capacity of public health systems to deliver HIV care at scale

E6. HIV service delivery in conflict and post-conflict settings

Management for health care delivery

E7. Gender responsive HIV programming

E8. Integration of HIV services with other health and development programs

E9. Interventions to increase uptake and retention in HIV services: decentralization and task shifting

E10. Interventions to improve retention in the prevention of vertical transmission cascade/continuum, including early infant diagnosis and Option B+ programmes

Shared Responsibility and Global Solidarity towards ending AIDS as prerequisite for SDGs

E11. Governance – peer review and accountability mechanisms

E12. Procurement and supply chain management

E13. Investing in HIV more strategically – use of applications of investment approach at country level

E14. National financing initiatives

E15. International assistance, frameworks and funding mechanisms: Global Fund, PEPFAR etc….)

E16. Ensuring accelerated access to affordable and quality-assured medicines and health-related commodities – Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan in Africa (PMPA

Health economics

E17. Building country-level capacity for quality improvement

E18. Impact evaluation of different models of health service delivery (cost effectiveness)

E19. Effect of health insurance schemes and other support models on access, adherence and outcome

Partnership in HIV

E20. Private-public, faith-based organizations and NGOs partnerships for prevention, treatment, care and support (service delivery, financing)

E21. Intervention to improve adherence to treatment and prevention behavior and technologies

E22. Civil society: A driving force in Getting to Zero – Operationalizing partnership with civil society, people living with HIV and key populations

Monitoring and evaluation

E23. Innovative approaches to track patients, track pre-ART care and other program Data (including connectivity and other mhealth solutions)

Innovation and best practices

E24. Interventions at last scale (community, district, provincial, regional, country levels) to increase uptake of and retention in HIV services

E25. Partnership involving donors, NGOs and government

E26. Effects of public-private partnerships, including workplace programmes and policies

E27. Innovating HIV response with new technologies

Key populations and HIV

E28. Working with community-led organizations, including key populations, faith-based groups, traditional healer organizations, and with community leaders

E29. Sexual and reproductive health and HIV services: delivery models and cost

E30. Inpatient and outpatient services for HIV care and treatment

E31. HIV and other vertical programmes e.g. tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, drug treatment, family planning

E32. Community care with health facility services

E33. Integration of HIV and non-communicable diseases (NCD) services