'Devote more resources to curb HIV'

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 (Daily Graphic Pg 23)

Story: Lucy Adoma Yeboah, Vienna, Austria

The 18th International AIDS Conference has ended in Vienna, Austria, with a call by Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa to African leaders to devote more resources to curb the spread of HIV on the continent.
In a video conference, Archbishop Tutu said "The HIV issue is a human rights issue. HIV prevention, treatment, care and support is a human right priority, as much as a challenge for leadership as is it to vulnerable communities".
He said 5.5 million precious lives still in need of treatment in poor countries had to be assisted, adding that “Our leaders, especially in Africa, have a key role to play not only in mobilising resources creatively, but in influencing attitudes, laws and philosophies".
He indicated stated that in spite of these challenges, accessibility to treatment could healp address the issue of stigma associated with HIV.
Archbishop Tutu observed that doom and gloom had been the order of the day as the global recession had spread a blanket over much of the world, adding that fortunately "a ray of hope has come from an unexpected quarter”.
He explained that although there was no cure for HIV and AIDS yet, there was treatment to make the disease treatable and manageable.
"Lives can be saved, children need not be orphans, parents can continue to provide for their families. The hopelessness of the past can be transformed into hope for the future" he said.
He said there were great possibilities, adding that much had been achieved in the area of anti-retroviral therapy and called for support in supplying drugs and other treatment items.
For her part, Dr Patricia Perez ,  Chair of the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), said lack of resources allocated to HIV and AIDS had been evidenced throughout the event.
"Let us look for money to stop the epidemic among the resources that nations allocate to buying weapons. For instance, US60 billion will be wasted in armaments in Latin America by the end of the year" she said.
Among other speakers who addressed the closing ceremony were both the Chairman and the Local Chair of the event, Dr Julio Montaner, and Dr Briggitee Schmied respectively.