At the 20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014Exit Disclaimer) in Melbourne, Australia, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Bisola O. Ojikutu, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a Senior Advisor at JSI, and asked her to offer her reflections on some of the key ideas she’s heard at the conference.

Among the highlights for Dr. Ojikutu was the presentation given by Ambassador Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, who spoke about the need to focus HIV prevention efforts on the most at-risk populations, a theme that has resonated throughout the conference. As Dr. Ojikutu related, Ambassador Dybal emphasized the importance of making better, smarter investments in order to reach those who are most at risk. (For more on this, see our earlier conversation with NIH/NIAID’s Dr. Carl Dieffenbach.) Ambassador Dybal’s words resonated with Dr. Ojikutu because, she reflected, during her medical training she learned about the importance of "knowing your epidemic" and tackling it appropriately.

About AIDS 2014

Gathered under the theme of “Stepping Up the Pace,” some 12,000 participants from 200 countries around the world have gathered in Melbourne for the 20th International AIDS Conference, known as AIDS 2014. This biennial gathering for those working in the field of HIV, including scientists, medical practitioners, activists, policymakers, people living with HIV and others committed to ending the epidemic. Read more about following the conference online.