From March 20 to 22, 2025, the German-Austrian AIDS Congress (Döak 2025) will take place again in Vienna after 20 years. As the largest HIV congress in German-speaking countries, up to 1,000 participants from all areas around HIV, including self-help, activism and communities, come together in the Vienna Hofburg to discuss the situation of HIV/AIDS with special focus on Austria and Germany.
Thanks to medical progress, HIV infection is now considered a chronic illness with good health-related quality of life and normalized life expectancy. Nevertheless, both people with HIV and all professional groups involved are still facing major challenges.
In order to discuss the current situation, the doctors of the Austrian AIDS Society (ÖAG) invite you to the 12th German-German AIDS Congress together with the German specialist society DAIG. Under the motto “HIV in the ¾ clock”, the Döak 2025 combines a wide variety of subject areas on life realities with HIV, to prevention, test, therapy and healing and, for example, to other sexually transmitted infections.
Efforts still necessary: the trip has not yet ended
The current statistics of the European Center for Prevention and Control of Diseases (ECDC) illustrate that a decrease in efforts is still not an option. Dr. Pamela Rendi-Wagner, director of the ECDC, will classify the topic of HIV in the European context on March 20, 2025 as part of the opening of the congress. “Although Europe has made great progress in the fight against HIV, there is still a lot to do. There are still inequalities and people with HIV all over Europe are still stigmatized and discriminated against. In order to achieve the UNAIDS goals, holistic approaches, cooperation with civil society and easier access to prevention, tests and therapy are decisive. So Dr. Rendi-Wagner.
Congress President Dr. Alexander Zoufaly emphasizes: “We are very happy to be able to integrate the pan-European situation that influences the HIV area through the unique expertise of the ECDC.” And also explains from a medical point of view: “Modern HIV therapies mostly enable a healthy and largely carefree long life with HIV. Large milestones have been achieved. But the journey has not yet ended. The future is called long-acting: Both in therapy and in prevention, we are here at crucial turning points.”
Further efforts are also necessary in other areas, as Congress President Dr. Katharina Grabmeier-Pfisthammer reports: “53 % of all people with HIV worldwide are girls and women. Nevertheless, there are no extensive data on women-specific questions such as pregnancy and breastfeeding with HIV or even age-related aspects of women with HIV.
Invitation to active participation – abstract submission started
Since October 1, 2024, abstracts have been submitted to present studies, projects and work on Döak 2025 to a broad specialist audience. Congress tickets are already available on the Döak 2025 website.
The chairman of the German AIDS Society (DAIG) Dr. Stefan Esser explains: “The German AIDS Society also invites you to active participation. The integration of outstanding experts, young scientists and people from the HIV community in the design of the Döak 2025 promises a top-class, versatile program with important speakers.”
In doing so, he underlines that the invitation to the abstract submission and participation in congresses are aimed not only at specialist areas such as virology, infectiology, medicine and care in Austria and Germany, but also to the many psychosocial fields of activity, prevention teams and especially people with HIV.
“A future that enables the best physical and psychological quality of life for people with HIV in which all prevention options can be optimally used and which draws a vision for an end to HIV epidemic needs expertise and commitment at all levels.” Mag. Birgit Leichsenring, science coordinator of the congress. The interdisciplinary and publicly visible format of the conference in the middle of the city center of Vienna therefore not only offers a stage for subject -specific training.
For this purpose, Wiltrut Stefanek, chairwoman of the Self-Aid Association Pulshiv (www.pulshiv.at): “For example, is part of the necessary commitment more information work in the general population so that the old images of AIDS are finally disappearing and replacing the positive developments. The message that we are not contagious under HIV therapy must be spread much more. to dismantle “
The fact that the Döak 2025 offers many different options is also affirmative, Andrea Brunner as the management of the AIDS Hilfe Vienna (www.aids.at) and summarizes: “The Döak is the perfect congress to find out about new developments in the field of HIV, to exchange ideas and network. It is all the more pleasant.
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About the Döak 2025
The 12th German – Austrian AIDS Congress takes place from Thursday, March 20 to Saturday, March 22, 2025 in the Vienna Hofburg. Organizers are the medical societies in the area of HIV: ÖAG (www.aidsgesellschaft.at) and Daig (www.daignet.de). In terms of content, the Congress Presidium is responsible for the ÖAG. Event Service RS GmbH is implemented and congress organization.
About the ÖAG
ÖAG is Austria’s association of HIV-Expert from the medical and scientific fields. It sees itself as a representation of HIV treatment and HIV research in Austria. The main task of ÖAG is to ensure the best possible treatment quality for people with HIV by means of development and implementation of binational guidelines (Germany and Austria), scientific advanced training as well as. B. Cooperations with other specialist societies.
German-German AIDS Congress 2025
12. German – Austrian AIDS Congress
Datum: 20.03.2025 – 22.03.2025
Art: Conferences and conferences
Ort: Hofburg Vienna
Heroic
1010 Wien
Austria
URL: https://www.doeak-2025.com