U. S. capital Washington, D. C. is going to host the country’s first International AIDS Conference later this month since 1990.

The 6-day meeting, themed "Turning the Tide Together," will formally start on 22nd of July. The American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfaR) will stage a pre-conference bash on 21st of July. The pre-conference bash will feature well-known personalities like actors Sharon Stone and Sean Penn and famous CNN newsman Anderson Cooper.

The conference is expected to draw a crowd of more than 25,000, including AIDS activists, scientists, politicians and celebrities.

The list of key speakers, who will share their view during the conference, includes singer Elton John, philanthropist Bill Gates and former U. S. president Bill Clinton. Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar will also address the attendees at the conference via video-link.

Dr. Susan Blumenthal, an ex- U. S. Assistance Surgeon General, said HIV has become an epidemic in Washington.

Raising concerns over the issue, Blumenthal added, “There's a community in our world where one out of 30 people are HIV positive… and that community is Washington, DC."

Previously, the conference could not be held in the U. S. due to a travel ban on HIV-positive people. U. S. lawmakers agreed to lift the ban under president of George W. Bush in 2008. But the bill to lift the ban was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009.