Grant: Dissemination Events - Priority Announcement: HIV/AIDS

Hepatitis co-infections and their associated liver related complications have emerged as a leading cause of illness and death among HIV infected persons. Despite the serious health and clinical impact, stakeholders across Canada have not come together to address this issue. The proposed activity will support the 1st National Research Summit on HIV and HBV/HCV Co-infection in Canada. The Summit will bring together people living with HIV and HBV/HCV co-infections, infectious diseases and HIV specialists, physicians, hepatologists, gastroenterologists, researchers and those working in community organizations, correctional settings, governments and the pharmaceutical industry. It will be organized around five research themes: 1) biomedical/clinical and epidemiological research; 2) clinical service delivery; 3) social-behaviour research; 4) social policy development; and 5) support service delivery. The Summit will result in the development of a research Roadmap that will set out a strategic research agenda in HIV and HBV/HCV co-infection and address the significant gap in our current understanding and response to this emerging public health issue. The Summit will promote knowledge exchange within the HIV and HBV/HCV prevention, treatment, care and support sectors. Furthermore, an innovative KTE strategy will be employed to share the Summit outcomes (i.e. the Roadmap). In addition to traditional KTE through conferences and journal publications, it will be shared through web-based forums in Canada and internationally and at a series of community stakeholder workshops. The proposed activity is directly relevant to the priorities of the Institute of Infection and Immunity.