Sixty multinational militaries are working together to develop a joint strategy for combating the AIDS pandemic, India Bloom News Service reports. They’re laying out the groundwork during the International Military HIV/AIDS Conference, a four-day event that began April 12 in Tanzania.

The Tanzania People’s Defense Force and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) are hosting the conference, which addresses the global need for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention as well as treatment programs, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the article, participants number about 300 and represent international military leaders, HIV/AIDS specialists, the DOD, the U.S. Africa Command and nongovernmental organizations. They will share best practices in leadership, HIV prevention and treatment, strategic information and plans for HIV/AIDS surveillance and data use.

“HIV/AIDS can cause social and economic crisis of unprecedented proportion and threaten the greater stability of nations and societies,” said Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kewete, a strong supporter of HIV prevention and testing programs. “We cannot and must not allow HIV/AIDS to debilitate our men and women in uniform.”