Figures show that HIV infection rates are rising

Experts on the virus will be speaking at the event organised by the British HIV association, some of them travelling from as far afield as Africa to attend.

It follows appeals that there should be no let up in efforts to curb the world's growing HIV crisis.

Expert Dr Margaret Johnson said more people were testing positive for the disease in Britain every day.

The Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Ruth Hall, will speak at the conference.

Also present will be Madame Jeanette Kagame, The First Lady of the Republic of Rwanda.

More people tested positive last year than in any year since we started testing Dr Margaret Johnso

Dr Johnson, from the Royal Free Hospital in London, said that while new treatments had vastly improved the survival chances of people with HIV, the number of new infections was soaring.

"More people tested positive last year than in any year since we started testing," she said.

Figures from the Health Protection Agency in February showed a 27% increase in heterosexual diagnoses with 2,785 reports in 2003 compared with 2,199 at the same point in 2002.

Although 80% of these were due to infections contracted in countries with high HIV prevalence, those acquired within the UK had risen from 195 to 254.

"From my point of view, there's perhaps no reason why these patients should not have a normal life span," she said.

But she stressed there was no room for complacency while infection rates were going up.

Dr Johnson will this year take over as chair of the association from Professor Brian Gazzard, who helped to found the organisation 10 years ago.