KUALA LUMPUR The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has announced the country’s successful bid for the 7th International Aids Society (IAS) HIV Conference in Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, to be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in July, 2013.
This is the first time the biennial conference will be held in Asia, and it is expected to draw more than 5,000 delegates and generate over US$25 million in revenue for the Malaysian economy.
International Aids Society conference director, Anouk Rey, said, “Hosting the event in Malaysia will not only be attractive to our delegates in terms of destination, but it is also centrally located in Asia to attract HIV professionals from neighbouring countries.
“As the conference would only come to Asia once in a decade, we believe that hosting the conference in Kuala Lumpur will benefit both the delegates and the country. The impact of the conference on HIV knowledge in the area will be very valuable.”
IAS 2013 is expected to attract leading scientists, clinicians, public health experts, community practitioners and policy planners from 125 countries. They will examine the latest developments in HIV-related research and explore how scientific advances can be quickly translated into effective interventions to prevent and treat HIV, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
MyCEB CEO Zulkefli Hj Sharif, said: “The government’s commitment and support towards business tourism is now at a level where Malaysia can compete more effectively in the international marketplace, thereby attracting more international and regional business events to the country.”