Five days to go

Five days before the ICMDA Europe/Eurasia Regional Conference in Schladming, Austria. Just trying to sort out visas, ensure all the literature and resources arrive on schedule, and just generally get everything organised that has not already been put in place.

As ever, the logistical challenges of a conference can easily get in the way of the central priority - how are we supporting these doctors and others to give the very best care in often less than ideal circumstances to people living with HIV and AIDS? My main prayer is that we achieve that aim at least at this conference.

Following 2006’s Sydney HIV preconference, a Worldwide ICMDA HIV/ AIDS initiative/ network has been established [www.icmdahivinitiative.org]. As there is significant variation in the nature of the epidemics from region to region it was recognised early on that it was important for this network to become regionally focused in the same way in which ICMDA is developing regionally.

The HIV pre-conference in Austria 2008 is an opportunity to start a regional focus in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East – areas currently not well represented, but where the HIV pandemic is accelerating at its fastest. In many nations in the region keep their HIV pandemic hidden, and remain in denial reminiscent of many Africa nations in the early to mid 1990s. It is also a region where the churches are often marginalised or even persecuted, and overt Christian responses are not always possible. The need to empower, equip and network those Christians who are responding to the pandemic is vital.


The main aims of the HIV & AIDS pre conference stream are:

1. Establishing regional links, especially in unknown places this far, i.e. Middle East, Eastern Europe. Find out what people are doing.

2. In a lot of places, it’s likely that people will be working in isolation – the pre conference will therefore aim at encouragement and empowerment, learning from each other, creating a space for people just to network.

3. Sharing skills and best-practice knowledge. Cautiously, aware of cultural / practice differences.

4. Creating a virtual network for Christian ministries, mission agencies, churches and health professionals responding to HIV and AIDS in the region.

We are hoping that around thirty five to forty delegates/speakers from the region will be attending (final figures are just coming through). Medical practitioners and students will get some subsidy from ICMDA, we will look to support others attending by other means. Target group for the conference will be Christian health professionals, mission agencies, indigenous ministries and Churches responding to the pandemic in their own nations or across part or all of the Eurasia region.

We will be posting updates on to this site regularly over the next week.