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HIV and AIDS
Beyond the First 25 Years – The International AIDS Society and
Its Role in the Global Response to AIDS
a report by
Craig McClure
Executive Director, International AIDS Society (IAS)
In 1981, the first indication of a disturbing new illness that defied established an ambitious agenda of work for the organisation over the
medical classification appeared in the Centers for Disease Control and coming years, outlined in ‘Stronger Together: Strategic Framework
Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
1
Little 2005–2009’ (available on the IAS website at www.iasociety.org).
could have prepared the world for the human catastrophe that
followed. We have now just passed the 25-year mark in the history of
this epidemic and yet, despite impressive scientific advances in both
diagnosis and treatment, it is continuing to outpace our efforts to
contain it. As the world’s leading association of
professionals working in the field
As the world’s leading independent association of professionals
working in the field of HIV/AIDS, the International AIDS Society (IAS)
of HIV/AIDS, the International AIDS
will have a unique role to play in the global response to this epidemic
Society will have a unique role to
in the decades to come. With over 10,000 members from 171
countries, the IAS represents individuals working at every level of the
play in the global response to this
response. The IAS was established as a non-profit organisation in 1988
epidemic in the decades to come.
with a mandate to organise the biennial International AIDS
Conference, although the Stockholm-based staff remained small and
responsibility for organising the conferences was primarily undertaken
by professional conference organisers. That changed in 2004, when
the IAS Governing Council decided to upgrade its structure by An initial priority for the IAS in 2005 was to undertake a
strengthening the professional staff at the secretariat and moving the comprehensive review of the International AIDS Conference, which
headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland, in order to strengthen links with had evolved from a small medical meeting in Atlanta in 1984 to a
other health non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and UN massive multisectoral health conference attended by over 21,000
multilateral agencies. Since then, the IAS secretariat has grown to delegates in Toronto in 2006. The IAS consulted broadly with
encompass a professional staff of 30, and the Governing Council has stakeholders on how to maximise the reach and impact of the
conference, and received input through group consultations,
confidential interviews, Internet fora and other meetings. The
Craig McClure has been the Executive Director of the
recommendations from those consultations – among others, to
International AIDS Society (IAS), the world’s leading
independent association of HIV professionals, since 2004.
improve the quality of science, to broaden diversity, to facilitate cross-
He has a background in political science, international
disciplinary linkages and dialogue and to strengthen the focus on
relations, education and counselling, and has worked in
the field of HIV/AIDS for 15 years, primarily in the areas of
youth – began to be implemented in the planning for AIDS 2006 in
policy, advocacy and education. In 2003–2004 he played a Toronto, and will be implemented more fully in the planning for
central role at the World Health Organization (WHO)
the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City in 2008. The
headquarters as a member of the co-ordination team for
the development of the ‘3 by 5’ strategy, an initiative by the WHO and the Joint United
report from the Future Directions project, including detailed
Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to expand antiretroviral treatment access for people
recommendations, is available on the IAS website. We are also
living with HIV/AIDS in resource-limited settings. Prior to working with the WHO, Mr
McClure worked for the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), focusing on mobilising
strengthening the conference’s role as an accountability mechanism, a
public sector support for vaccine research, as well as working on policy development in focus reflected in the conference theme of AIDS 2006 – Time to
vaccine research and access. As a founding partner of the consultancy Health Hounds, he
Deliver – which has implications across disciplines and in the three
led a number of HIV/AIDS policy and programme development projects for inter-
governmental, governmental, non-governmental and corporate sector clients during the
programme areas of science, community and leadership.
period 1997–2000. Prior to that, he worked for four years for the Canadian Treatment
Information Exchange, a non-governmental organisation focused on HIV treatment
In addition to the large international conferences, the IAS also
information, education and advocacy. Mr McClure has published and presented on his HIV
work at international, regional and national conferences over the past 15 years. He is organises the biennial Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention
committed to approaches to ending the epidemic that balance the need for further research
conference, which was last held in Sydney, Australia, on 22–25 July
with expanded implementation of existing prevention tools, ethical and equitable access to
care and treatment and an end to stigma and discrimination against people living with
2007. This is the premier open, international scientific meeting on HIV,
HIV/AIDS and the marginalised communities that remain most at risk of HIV infection. and was recently expanded to recognise and encourage the
E:
craig.mcclure@iasociety.org
importance of biomedical prevention research. It provides researchers
and clinicians with opportunities to discuss the latest advances in HIV
18 © TOUCH BRIEFINGS 2007
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