The end of AIDS? Moving Towards an AIDS Free Generation (Part 2 Q&A)

June 2011 marked the 30th anniversary of the AIDS pandemic. Since that time, there have been over 30 million deaths from AIDS-related causes, including 1,700,000 in 2011 alone. Currently, there are approximately 34 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Despite these staggering numbers, there was great optimism at the 19th International AIDS Conference, Turning the Tide on Together, which ran in Washington, DC this past July that an AIDS free generation is within our reach. Certainly we have both the knowledge and the technology to end the pandemic, but when looking at the incidence rates, the prospect seems daunting and unattainable, and certainly not immediate. The speaker will discuss some of the highlights from the many sessions at the AIDS Conference and reveal some of the work that needs to be done to achieve an AIDS free generation and bring about the end of AIDS. Speaker: Charleen Davidson Charleen is the Executive Director at the Lethbridge HIV Connection, a position she has held since the winter of 2008. Prior to joining the Connection, Charleen worked in British Columbia’s prison system, first as a Community Liaison Worker at the former Burnaby Correctional Centre for Women and later with victims of domestic violence through the Vancouver Pretrial Services Centre. It was her desire to make a difference in the community that led Charleen to the Connection upon her relocation to Lethbridge in 2008. While Charleen has attended several provincial and national AIDS conferences, AIDS 2012 was her first time participating at the international level. She always welcomes opportunities to learn more about the AIDS movement, and especially appreciates occasions for sharing new knowledge and ideas. Outside the agency, Charleen has been teaching fitness for the past 13 years, and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Galt Museum and Archives and the Board of Directors for the Alberta Community Council on HIV. Charleen holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Lethbridge and a Masters Degree from the University of Toronto.