In this audio report, a collage of the sounds and voices from the 14th International AIDS conference that ended in Barcelona on Friday July 12. Voices include Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton and Joep Lange (new president of the International AIDS Society).
A traditional African herbal medicine, METRAFAIDS, has shown to substantially reduce the viral loads of HIV positive patients and increase their CD4 (immunity) counts, it was announced at the International AIDS Conference today (Thursday).
World AIDS conferences always provide an opportunity for rich countries, aid agencies and international agencies to announce new funding initiatives to fight HIV/AIDS and gain maximum public relations exposure.
What about the "mother" part of mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT) programmes? That has been a key question raised over the past few years by AIDS activists concerned that the programmes are saving babies but condemning them to live as orphans.
Former president Nelson Mandela has called on government and business leaders worldwide to find ways to provide access to treatment for all people living with HIV/AIDS who need it.
A report released at the Barcelona International AIDS conference says that if current trends continue, the number of young people living with HIV/AIDS could rise from the present estimate of 12,4 million to 21,5 million by the end of this decade. This has particular implications for sub-Saharan Africa where large proportions of many country's populations are under 18 years of age.
Most countries African countries had no or very little patent laws denying them access to cheaper drugs, according to Amir Attaran of the Kennedy School at Harvard University. Attaran, who received a mixed reaction from his audience at the International AIDS Conference (he was booed by some activists), said that South Africa was an exception with extensive patent coverage, but that more than 50 of the 53 countries reviewed had less than 4 out of the 15 essential anti-retrovirals patented.
he Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) desperately wants to work with Government at all levels and has called for an end to the stand off between the two parties. TAC chairperson Mark Heywood claimed at a media gathering at the International AIDS Conference that some health officials had been instructed not to work with TAC.
Governments' inadequate response to HIV/AIDS came under heavy criticism by global children's rights activist Graca Machel at the world AIDS conference in Barcelona.
An international group of AIDS specialists are in the final stages of setting up a clinic in Sharpeville that will offer services such as the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), treatment of opportunistic infections and anti-retroviral therapy.
Combining prevention of mother to child transmission (MTCT) programmes with the treatment of the mothers and their family members (MTCT Plus) could provide a critical link between prevention and treatment, according to Dr Wafaa El-Sadr of Columbia University in the United States.
The impact of the epidemic on young people is expected to grow, particularly in hard hit countries that already have young populations. This is according to a report by the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation: 'The Tip of the Iceberg ' the Global Impact of HIV/AIDS on Youth' released at the World AIDS Conference.
South African AIDS activist Zackie Achmat has urged the world to immediately lay to rest the counterproductive debate between AIDS prevention and treatment.
Pressure is mounting against the South African government for continuing to delay a $72-million grant to KwaZulu-Natal from the Global Fund to Fight HIV, TB and Malaria. Speaking at the World AIDS conference in Barcelona yesterday (wed), Global Fund director Dr Richard Feachem said the fund was "concerned" by the delay.
US Health Secretary Tommy Thompson was shouted down by AIDS activists and prevented from addressing the World AIDS conference in Barcelona yesterday (Tuesday). Kerry Cullinan reports.
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