The third EECA INTERACT Workshop, held in Riga, Latvia on December 13 and 14, was convened by the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD), AFEW International, and Riga Stradins University. It was led by Scientific Co-Chairs Prof MD Catherine Hankins and Prof MD Michel Kazatchkine, and Local Chair Associate Professor Anda Kivite-Urtane.
The long-awaited and eagerly anticipated EECA INTERACT 2022 followed on the first edition of EECA INTERACT held in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2019 and the second edition held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. EECA INTERACT has established itself as the only scientific abstract-driven workshop that provides a bilingual platform for showcasing the results of scientific research in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
During EECA INTERACT 2022, speakers and participants presented state-of-the-art research in the fields of HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and viral hepatitis, exchanging knowledge between East and West and building networks between clinicians, scientists, policy makers, and activists from across the region. The Workshop focused on service integration, surveillance, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on regional HIV, TB, and hepatitis services, highlighting innovative adaptations to service delivery in the region.
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) and progress in diagnostic methods and treatment of MDR TB received special emphasis. Throughout, the Workshop addressed the impact of the war in Ukraine on health, in both Ukraine and the broader EECA region, as well as the implications of the refugee crisis across Europe.
EECA INTERACT 2022 was supported by Gilead, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Aidsfonds, ANRS of France, MPP, MSD, EU4MD, and the International AIDS Society.
Organisers: AFEW International and Amsterdam Institute of Global Health & Development (AIGHD)
Local organiser: Riga Stradins University
