29 July 2008

Albion Street Centre links to International AIDS Conference

Albion Street Centre will be Australia’s only link to the 2008 International AIDS Conference, playing the role of a satellite hub screening sessions for clinical staff located in Sydney.

Centre director Professor Julian Gold said the clinic was the ideal choice to host screenings from the conference as it plays a major role on the international front in the treatment, management and research of HIV and AIDS.

"Albion Street Centre is a world-class home of excellence for HIV treatment and the largest public hospital clinic in New South Wales that cares for more than half of the state’s public patients living with the disease," Prof Gold said.

"We are currently involved in 10 different clinical trials for new drugs and vaccines, treatments and management strategies for HIV, and we do this as part of a global network."

The centre is also the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for the region and involved in assistance projects throughout Asia and the Pacific.

Prof Gold said the work had to continue as 400 new cases of HIV were diagnosed each year, (predominantly in the gay community, but there were increased cases in heterosexual women) placing major burdens on the health care system.

"Unlike some conditions where medical treatment is temporary, those living with HIV require treatment and monitoring for life," he said.

As the world prepares to come together again for its annual talk-fest on AIDS, Prof Gold said Australia needed to actively participate.

"One of the major issues is that AIDS is linked to greater problems like food, security, clean water, development and poverty, which promote the spread of AIDS and make it worse,” he said.

"Australia can’t isolate itself from the rest of the world because we live in a global community and some of our closest neighbours have very serious problems with HIV."

The conference is being held in Mexico City on 4-8 August.

Media Enquiries: Melissa Chain, 02 9382 8226 or 0421 618 793