Yesterday, the Centre for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV in Catalonia (CEEISCAT)-a research group from the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP)- celebrated its 30th anniversary with a special edition of its Annual Conference, held at the Palau Macaya in Barcelona. Over a hundred attendees participated in an event that brought together professionals from research, public health, and the community sector to reflect on the progress made and future challenges in addressing HIV, STIs, and viral hepatitis.

The event was inaugurated with an institutional welcome by Joan Colom, deputy director General of Addictions, HIV, STIs, and Viral Hepatitis, who thanked "all the work done, the active participation, and the focus on research". "I witnessed the birth of CEEISCAT during the 2002 International AIDS Conference, and since then, we have made significant progress: the reality of HIV today is different, thanks to the commitment to research, surveillance, and people", he stated. Esteve Fernández, secretary of Public Health, also addressed the audience, highlighting the CEEISCAT's response capacity and emphasising the creation of the specific centre in Catalonia for monitoring HIV and STIs. He emphasized "the centre's strong commitment to public health based on reaction capacity and the involvement of different stakeholders, always with a distinctive feature: promoting bold and innovative practices".

The main lecture was delivered by Professor Sten Vermund, dean of the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida, who reflected on the importance of implementation science in transforming scientific evidence into effective public policies: "Institutions like CEEISCAT are essential to ensure that research has a real impact on people's lives, especially in sensitive areas such as HIV and STIs".

30 years Building network through research

One of the most emotional moments of the event was the speech by Jordi Casabona, scientific director and founder of CEEISCAT, who delivered the commemorative lecture "30 Years of Public Health in Network". On his final annual conference as director, Casabona wanted to express his gratitude for the work of his team and all the collaborators, highlighting: "We have generated useful information, made relevant technical contributions, developed regulations, published, formed and created and strengthened a network. I hope that, indirectly, we have had a population impact, with scientific rigor, persistence, and assertiveness, but also with a great deal of respect: respect for the committed people, for institutional goals, for available resources, and for the evolution of new epidemiological scenarios, scientific knowledge and technologies. Both here and beyond".

The institutional closing was attended by Margarita García (deputy director of Research and Innovation at the Catalan Institute of Oncology) and Jordi Barretina (director general of IGTP).

Four round tables to look ahead

The event included four round tables with leading experts:

• Round table 1: From the paper era to the digital age - It reviewed the evolution of HIV and STI surveillance systems, with the participation of Carles Pericas (Public Health Agency of Barcelona), Jacobo Mendioroz (Department of Health), Pere Godoy (University of Lleida), and Juan Carlos Galán (Hospital Ramón y Cajal), moderated by Evelin López and Bea Blanco.
• Round table 2: Science, community, and public health - It explored the collaboration between key actors in the response to the epidemic. Participants included Mercè Meroño (Fundació Àmbit Prevenció), Rafa Muñoz (CEEISCAT), Sebastian Meyer (STOP), and Rosa Mansilla (Department of Health). The session was moderated by Cinta Folch and Cristina Agustí.
• Round table 3: Current and future healthcare challenges - With the participation of key figures such as Josep Maria Miró (Hospital Clínic de Barcelona), Elisa Martró (IGTP), Juanjo Mascort (CAMFiC, semFYC), and Ferran Segura (PISCIS), moderated by Andreu Bruguera and Victoria González.
• Round table 4: Research in network as a driver of innovation - With speakers such as Paula Meireles (Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto), Fernando Rodríguez Artalejo (CIBERESP), Ferenc Bagyinszky (AIDS ACTION EUROPE), moderated by Laura Fernández and Nicolas Lorente.

With this event, CEEISCAT reaffirms its commitment to public health based on evidence, innovation, and inclusion.