HIV/AIDS continues to engender disagreement among key stakeholders in South Africa who are otherwise fully committed to tackling the epidemic. The divisions can be attributed to a lack of a common understanding of the nature and meaning of research evidence that moreover, is evolving at a rapid rate at local, national and global levels. One way to deal with these differences in perceptions is to provide opportunities and forums where issues of contention can be discussed.

It is critical that South African key stakeholders – those who are actively engaged in research, policy makers, advocacy groups, caregivers, other service providers and those living with or affected by HIV and/or AIDS – work in synchrony towards a common goal. For this to happen, it is critical that evidence and lessons learned be shared and broad consensus sought. All these players will act in concert only if they have the same understanding of the new and emerging research developments taking place.

The 2009 AIDS conference aims to serve as a platform for deliberations on the key contentious issues relating to prevention, treatment and care. In particular, the conference will highlight state-of-the-art developments in prevention technologies; new approaches to prevention; the long-term impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy on incidence, prevalence, morbidity and mortality; the role of nutrition in HIV/AIDS; and the role of research into the use of complimentary and traditional medicines in HIV/AIDS.