The birth of IAS – the International AIDS Society – in 1988 heralded a new multidisciplinary style of collaboration, uniting experts from across the world to accelerate scientific progress against HIV.
That first gathering of experts, amid the stigma and misinformation shrouding the beginning of the HIV epidemic, has grown to a global forum of over 15,000 members in more than 170 countries, making it the world’s largest association of HIV professionals.
Today, the IAS continues its legacy, playing a pivotal role in shaping the direction of the HIV response.
- Purpose – To galvanize the scientific response, build global solidarity and enhance human dignity for all those living with and affected by HIV.
- Vision – A world in which HIV no longer presents a threat to public health and individual well-being.
- Mission – We convene leading minds to accelerate scientific discovery. We advocate for evidence-based and stigma-free policies. We educate change makers to ensure the global HIV response follows the science and puts people first.