Abt Associates Participating in International AIDS Conference in Vienna

Twelve staff members from Abt Associates will participate in the XVIII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010) in Vienna, Austria. This biennial event, which takes place July 18-23, attracts about 25,000 experts working in the field of HIV, policy makers, persons living with HIV, and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic. The 2010 conference theme, Rights Here, Right Now, emphasizes human rights as a prerequisite to a successful response to HIV, including equal access to health care and life-saving prevention and treatment programs.

Abt Associates has been invited to contribute to “Bridging the Divide: Inter–Disciplinary Partnerships for HIV and Health Systems Strengthening,” a pre–conference meeting of HIV and health systems experts organized by the Rockefeller Foundation. At the meeting on Friday, July 16, Dr. Tesfai Gabre-Kidan, Chief of Party for the USAID-funded Private Health Sector Program in Ethiopia, will make an oral presentation on expanding affordable TB and HIV care through the private sector in Ethiopia and discussions will advance emerging evidence and a priority research agenda in leveraging the impact of HIV scale up on health systems strengthening. During the conference itself Abt Associates staff will contribute a further 13 oral and poster presentations. Details of all of these events are given below.

Since 1985, Abt Associates has worked to craft effective responses to the many challenges of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The depth and breadth of our experience has earned Abt Associates a reputation as a leader in the field of HIV/AIDS social research. Our work ranges from creating health financing structures for HIV/AIDS treatment in developing countries to implementing outreach initiatives in U.S. prisons.

Visit the Abt Associates’ booth during the conference exhibition at C-201.

Friday, July 16

Pre–Conference Meeting of HIV and Health Systems Experts, Bridging the Divide: Inter–Disciplinary Partnerships for HIV and Health Systems Strengthening
Oral Presentation: Engaging the Private Health Sector in HIV Care
Dr. Tesfai Gabre-Kidan, Abt Associates

Pre-Conference Meeting: International AIDS and Economics Network (IAEN)
Poster Presentation: Unraveling the Quality and Utilization of HIV Counseling and Testing Services Offered by the Private Sector in Zambia
Ilana Ron, Abt Associates
Wenjuan Wang, formerly of Abt Associates
Obiko Magvanjav, formerly of Abt Associates

Monday, July 19

16:30-18:00, Session Room 4
Session: Beyond the Individual: Structural Effects of Drug Law and Policy on Health
Oral Presentation: Improving the drug rehabilitation system in Vietnam: a two-track strategy
Yen Hai Vu, Abt Associates
Theodore M. Hammett, Abt Associates
Tung Duy Nguyen, Abt Associates

Poster Exhibition Area
Poster Presentation: Human and Financial Resource Requirements for Decentralization of HIV Treatment and Care in Kenya
T. Maina, Ministry of Medical Services, Government of Kenya
D. Glandon, Abt Associates
C. Ciobanu, Abt Associates
A. Dutta, Abt Associates
I. Mukui, National AIDS/STD Control Programme
S. Birir, Ministry of Health, Kenya
Sustainability Working Group Kenya

Poster Exhibition Area
Poster Presentation: Unraveling the Quality of HIV Counseling and Testing Across Four Sectors of the Health System in Zambia
Ilana Ron, Abt Associates
Wenjuan Wang, formerly of Abt Associates
Obiko Magvanjav, formerly of Abt Associates

Poster Exhibition Area
Poster Presentation: HIV prevention for female sexual partners of injection drug users in Hanoi, Vietnam
Van Nghiem, Abt Associates
Theodore Hammett, Abt Associates
Binh Kieu, Abt Associates
Ryan Kling, Abt Associates
Shahira Ahmed, Harvard School of Public Health
Oanh Khuat, Institute of Social Development Studies, Hanoi, Vietnam

Poster Exhibition Area
Poster Presentation: Enhancing linkages to HIV care for jail detainees through HIV testing and connecting to services: multisite evaluation findings from a HRSA demonstration project
Cristina Booker, Abt Associates
Sarah Ball, Abt Associates
Meredith Pustell, Abt Associates
Liza Solomon, Abt Associates
S. Freeman, Emory University
A. Spaulding, Emory University

Poster Exhibition Area
Poster Presentation: Innovative Domestic Financing for the HIV/AIDS Sector in Kenya: Potential Contribution of Airline Levies and Increase in Health Budget Allocations
T. Maina, Ministry of Medical Services, Government of Kenya
Darwin Young, Abt Associates
Arin Dutta, Abt Associates
R. Ombam, National AIDS Control Council
Sustainability Working Group Kenya

Poster Exhibition Area
Poster Presentation: Tossed on a Sea of Indicators: Navigating Health Systems Strengthening to Achieve Measurable Outcomes
Tran Thi Mai Oanh, Abt Associates
Tran Van Tien, Abt Associates
Duong Huy Luong, Abt Associates
Khuong Anh Tuan, Abt Associates
Nguyen Khanh Phuong, Abt Associates
Le Quang Cuong, Abt Associates
Amy Taye, Abt Associates
Jim Setzer, Abt Associates

Poster Exhibition Area
Poster Presentation: How has the scale-up of HIV/AIDS services influenced other priority health care services? Evidence from a panel of primary health care facilities in Ethiopia
H. Banteyerga
A. Kidanu
D. Hotchkiss
M. Tharaney
K. Callahan

Tuesday, July 20

Poster Exhibition Area
Poster Presentation: Feasibility Study of Covering First-Line Antiretroviral Treatment for Adults through the National Health Insurance Fund in Kenya
S. Muchiri, Abt Associates
A. Dutta, Abt Associates
R. Ombam, National AIDS Control Council, Kenya
Sustainability Working Group Kenya

Poster Exhibition Area
Poster Presentation: Promoting Legal Services for PLHA in Vietnam
Tung Duy Nguyen, Abt Associates
Ngo Thi Thanh Thuy, Abt Associates
Tue T. Ngo, Abt Associates
Thanh D. Dong, Abt Associates
Theodore M. Hammett, Abt Associates

Wednesday, July 21

Poster Exhibition Area
Poster Presentation: Seven years of cross-border HIV prevention interventions, Vietnam and China: two estimation methods reveal sharp declines in HIV incidence among injection drug users
Theodore M Hammett, Abt Associates
Don Des Jarlais, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York
Ryan Kling, Abt Associates
Binh Kieu, Abt Associates
Ngu Doan, Abt Associates
Tho Nguyen, Lang Son Provincial AIDS Center, Vietnam
Yi Chen, Guangxi CDC, China
Wei Liu, Guangxi CDC, China
Meng Donghua, Ning Ming County CDC, China

Thursday, July 22

Poster Exhibition Area
Poster Presentation: A needs assessment of PLHIV self-help and supported groups (SSGs) in Vietnam to guide a capacity building and development program
Trang N.N. Nguyen, Center of Promotion for Quality of Life
Tung Duy Nguyen, Abt Associates
Thuy T.T. Ngo, Abt Associates
Thanh D. Dong, Abt Associates
Theodore M. Hammett, Abt Associates
Anh L. Tran, Center for Community Health and Development, Vietnam
Tinh T. Luong, Center for Community Health and Development, Vietnam
Tue T. Ngo, Abt Associates