Drug abuse and co-occurring infections are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In particular, HIV infection is associated with serious neurological complications, including neuroAIDS. Therefore, on 13-15 September 2012, the OMICS Group (USA) and Shailendra K Saxena (Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, India) hosted a symposium titled: 'Drugs of Abuse - HIV Infection and NeuroAIDS: A Global Perspective' that was cochaired by Jag H Khalsa and Jeymohan Joseph of the NIH, MD, USA, at the 3rd World Congress on Biotechnology, in Hyderabad, India. Renowned scientists from India and the USA highlighted a number of issues, including the epidemiology, causes and underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of neuroAIDS, impact on health, and designing new treatment modalities (e.g., nanotherapeutics) for the treatment of neurological disorders.