Nearly 3000 delegates from 63 countries gathered at the forum. Among the attendees there were  world’s leading scientists, politicians, representatives of international organizations and civic leaders. The Conference focused on four tracks: “Science and Medicine”, “International Development Assistance”, “Effective Prevention” and “Civil Society” and covered the most important areas related to HIV-infection. Olga Golodets, Russian Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, Anna Popova, Chief State Sanitary Officer of the Russian Federation, Ren Minghui, WHO Assistant  Director-General on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, and Vikram Punia, President of Pharmasyntez Group, made welcoming speeches at the opening of the Conference. Vikram Punia noted that during the past few years significant results were achieved in the pharmaceutical industry: many new Russian drugs matching their foreign analogues in quality have entered the market.
‘The Russian pharmaceutical industry has made a huge step forward in the recent 7-8 years. If in 2010 up to 90 % of antiretroviral drugs were imported ones, now more than 70 % of them are manufactured in the Russian Federation. Also, a few years ago only two ARV drugs were produced in Russia, now there are more than 20 ARVs manufactured in the country. Moreover, we have already begun exporting drug products to a dozen of countries of the world. And the number of states importing Russian drugs is growing. And this is great news that there are first innovative drugs manufactured in Russia.’  
As Vikram Punia said, such results have been achieved thanks to the joint efforts of the business and the Russian government. The main task is to make drugs available for those who need treatment for HIV-infection.
‘The support of pharmaceutical companies is crucial in fighting HIV-infection’, Solomon Apoyan, Chief Medical Officer of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Center for AIDS and Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control, said. ‘Pharmaceutical companies perform clinical studies, use high-tech solutions, carry out postmarketing surveillance. Our Center has been cooperating with Pharmasyntez for a long time. About 7000 of our patients receive drugs produced by this company. Thanks to innovations HIV-infection is no longer a life sentence. Patients receiving timely treatment live their lives, get married, give birth to healthy children.’
Conference participants note that community outreach plays an important role in HIV prevention: it is important that people are well informed and are not afraid of speaking about the problem.
‘I think it is a huge breakthrough that an issue of HIV-infection in our country is being spoken about’, Larisa Afonina, Leading Specialist of the Scientific and Practical Center for HIV Prevention and Treatment in Pregnant Women and Children, said. ‘Nationwide campaigns, including All-Russian campaign «STOP HIV/AIDS», are highly effective. The number of people who take part in them grows every year. The aim of such events is to inform, test and give consultations to people. If a HIV-positive result is detected, a psychologist immediately starts working with this person.’
Pharmasyntez understands how important it is to provide people with information about HIV/AIDS and supports biggest all-Russian campaigns aimed at fighting the disease. At EECAAC 2018 the company presented its charity project «Red ribbon»: at the company stand there stood stuffed toys made by the pictures drawn by little patients of Irkutsk AIDS Treatment and Prevention Center as a part of the jointly organized contest «Toys coming alive». The toys were sold at an auction and all the money raised were sent to TAC Care Foundation for supporting children with HIV/AIDS.