AIDS 2006: the glass is half full

28 August 2006

The XVI International Aids Conference (AIDS 2006) held earlier this month in Toronto was the latest in the series organized every other year by the International AIDS Society, the worlds leading independent association of HIV professionals. With the theme Time to Deliver the conference focused on two major areas, prevention strategies and HIV care and treatment. The general consensus was that the event still leaves the issue of HIV/AIDS in the middle of the road towards meaningful progress, however with more hope.

The conference was attended by an estimated 24,000 participants from 170 countries. It attracted major global stakeholders on the issue of HIV/AIDS, ranging from world leaders, development practitioners, researchers, academics, multinational corporations and people living with HIV/AIDS.

Toronto skyline

The event was opened by activists with a call for a greater global commitment to HIV services, focusing on respect for the needs and rights of affected communities. In their opening remarks, both Mr. Bill Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and former US President Bill Clinton, identified the need for greater commitment from the global community, the empowerment of women to dictate their own terms in sexual relations and the need to fight stigmatization as the major areas that need to be addressed to eradicate the pandemic.

In Gates statement, he noted that no matter where she lives, who she is and what she does - a woman should never need her partners

a woman should never need her partners permission to save her own life

permission to save her own life. Bill Clinton said that if there is an aggressive effort against stigma and a guarantee youll have the medicine, the cure you need, then we could have more people know their status and I think more people will be willing to do what is necessary not to infect others

The first day was focused on preventive measures for HIV/AIDS and latest global research findings. Particular attention was given to the positive impact of male circumcision on HIV risk and also the use of microbicides for women. Greater awareness that women can protect themselves from HIV through the use of diaphragm, female condom and other sexually transmitted infection controls was also stressed.

The discussion on the Wednesday was on achieving universal access to treatment. Kevin De Cock, HIV/AIDS Director for The World Health Organization (WHO), reported significant increases in antiretroviral

More than one million people are now receiving ART in Sub-Saharan Africa

treatment (ART) coverage. WHO estimates that by the end of June 2006, some 1.65 million people in need were accessing ART, with an overall coverage of 24 %. More than one million people are now receiving ART in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the vast majority of the people living with HIV in this region are still not receiving the HIV drugs.

Thursday was focused on need for a comprehensive and coordinated approach to HIV. Mark Heywood of the AIDS Law Project of South Africa noted that a human rights perspective on HIV prevention is too often overlooked. If the provision of services for HIV is viewed as a human right, more would be done by governments and political leaders to deliver a structured approach.

The conference was closed on the Friday and participants were reminded of the purpose of the gathering based on its theme, Time to Deliver. The need for global action was reiterated by Anders

universal access requires universal response

Nordstrom, Acting Director-General of WHO: no one has capacity to manage HIV/AIDS alone, universal access requires universal response. It was agreed that there is a strong need to put more pressure on political leaders in all regions of the world, most particularly the leaders of the G8 group, to honour their commitment to achieve universal access to prevention, care and treatment by 2010.

A team of more than 30 rapporteurs prepared written summaries of the conference to identify areas relevant to preparation for the next conference in Mexico in 2008.
Conference co-chair Mark Wainberg concluded that, despite the record number of participants, the Toronto conference will be judged a failure without dramatic and rapid expansion of access to antiretroviral drugs for millions of people around the world and a simultaneous scale-up of prevention efforts.

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Akande Adebowale is a PhD student in London and Volunteer Editor for the OneWorld Nigeria Guide