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Programs for HIV Prevention and
Treatment (PHPT)
Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences,
Chiang Mai University
Institut de Recherche pour le
Développement
Proposal for the workshop on
“Interdisciplinary Approach to the Management of HIV: A Model for other Infectious Diseases?”
1. Name of the workshop: Interdisciplinary Approach to the Management of HIV: A Model for other
Infectious Diseases?
2. Organization in charge: Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, and the
Program for HIV Prevention and Treatment (PHPT)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement –
IRD UMI 174
3. Rationale:
Nearly 30 years after the first description of Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and
the characterization of its causative agent, the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV, extraordinary
progress has been made both for its prevention and treatment. During the last decade, AIDS has
become a chronic disease in industrialized countries, but also in resource-limited countries like
Thailand, where access to antiretroviral treatment is steadily improving. Research must continue in
order to make treatment sustainable safer, simpler and less expensive. Thus, we must first adapt
the use of the drugs for certain vulnerable populations such as children or pregnant women. Coinfections should also be taken into account, particularly co-infection with hepatitis B, hepatitis C or
papilloma viruses for which prevention and/or treatment exists. Indeed, people infected with HIV
whose life expectancy has increased from a few months to two or three decades, may now die
from cirrhosis or liver cancer, or for women, cancer of the cervix. Finally, it is important to reduce
the long-term adverse effects of HIV infection. Despite the efficacy of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in
controlling HIV replication, immune activation and inflammation persist which cause and promote a
series of morbid phenomena --- immune depletion, cancer, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease,
cognitive disorders, bone disorders ---.
The success of HIV/AIDS research has been possible (and will remain possible) as a result of
the massive funding for a coordinated and multidisciplinary research which takes into account all
aspects of the "HIV field ": viro/immunology, pharmacology, clinical epidemiology, economics,
anthropology and social and behavioral sciences. These activities have translated into sustainable
management of the disease through the assistance of national and international policy makers,
health economists, and all actors of civil society that mobilized to fight against the disease
(patients' associations, prevention organization, sponsors, NGOs).
HIV is not the unique challenge in public health. Some critics consider that research on HIV has
attracted a lot of resources and attention at the expense of other health issues as equally
important. For others, however it is a model of international partnership between institutions for
care, research, public health, international and non-governmental organizations where infected
people were involved from the beginning. Large networks of clinical research at NIH in the U.S. (eg
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IMPAACT and ACTG) and Europe (PENTA, INSERM) after being deployed in developing
countries are wondering whether the organization of HIV research can be transposed or directly
used to conduct research on other infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue, some cancers
(liver and hepatitis, cervical and papilloma virus), or even some chronic diseases?
4. Objectives:
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Share results of the cross-sectional research conducted under the collaboration between IRD,
Chiang Mai and Harvard Universities.
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Contribute to the training of new teams of doctors and researchers on management and care of
HIV infection
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Advocate this interdisciplinary approach for research and treatment of other infectious
diseases.
5. Date, Time and Place:
The workshop will be held on March 16-18, 2011 at The Empress Hotel, Chiang Mai
6. Participants profile:
The workshop will host approximately 250 participants from AMS-PHPT network from 50 hospitals.
Participants include researchers and specialists in HIV and other infectious diseases from different
disciplines: clinical research, epidemiology, public health, infectious diseases, immunology,
pharmacology, statistics, demography, anthropology, economics and health care systems.
7. Registration Fee:
No registration fee
8. Budget :
The workshop is supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and Institut de
Recherche pour le Développement – IRD UMI 174
9. Expected benefits:
-To highlight the research results, share experiences, contribute to the training of new teams
and foster new collaborations.
-To inform the scientific community regarding the collaborations and results obtained by the
researchers and practitioners partner of the IRD-AMS collaborating, in particular the participants in the
Franco-Thai Hubert Curien program co-financed by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Higher
Education from France and Thailand.
-To Exchange opinions on opportunities prospects for research and collaboration in the field of
HIV and other tropical infectious/parasitic diseases