Anna Shakarishvili, MD, UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Ukraine. Dear Colleagues and Friends, with this letter, I would like to remind you of the International AIDS Conference that this year will be held in Toronto, Canada from 13 to 18 August. The conference is for everyone involved in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic -- researchers, healthcare workers, civil society, governments, UN organizations, activists, donors, industry, the media, and people living with HIV/AIDS. As the world's largest, most comprehensive HIV/AIDS conference, AIDS 2006 is an unparalleled opportunity to expand public awareness of HIV/AIDS, share knowledge and learn from others in the field, and chart a course for a stronger, more effective global response to the pandemic.

This year the theme of the Conference is Time to deliver, reminding us of past and present commitments for action on HIV/AIDS and demanding accountability for those promises at every level of the response. The four key challenges for AIDS 2006, selected by the Conference Organizing Committee, are to:

 Accelerate research to end the epidemic;
  Expand and sustain human resources to scale-up prevention and treatment;
  Intensify involvement of affected communities; and
  Build new leadership to advance the response.

The following is the website of the conference http://www.aids2006.org/ . On it you will find information about abstract submission, conference program, scholarship opportunities, registration, etc.

As we would like to see as much of representation from Ukraine at the conference, we would like to encourage you to:

1. Submit your papers (abstracts) to the Scientific Committee (please see the website for the guidelines and useful dates). Please note that the last day for the submission of papers is 22 February 2006. For the papers/abstracts qualified for late breaker sessions, the last day for the submission of those is 12 June (you can start doing so starting on 29 May 2006).

If you need any help with your abstracts, please do not hesitate to contact us here at UNAIDS and send us your papers by February 10th, as we will be eager to help you with those for the Conference. Please notify us in advance how many papers you intend to submit and request help on, so that we accommodate our time accordingly. 

2. Submit your requests for full or partial international scholarship if you are eligible. You may find relevant information on the website. Please note that the deadline for applying for an international scholarship is 22 February 2006.

3. Register for the conference in timely manner. The conference allows for various types of registration such as Regular Delegate Registration, Student/Youth Registration, Accompanying Person Registration, Media Registration, Exhibitor Registration, and Group Registration. Standard fee ends on 22 February 2006 (late surcharge begins 23 February 2006).

If you need any assistance with either of the above noted submission or have questions about the Conference, please let us know.