International AIDS confab opens

Monday, July 19, 2010 (Daily Graphic Pg 3)

Story: Lucy Adoma Yeboah, Vienna, Austria,
ABOUT 25,000 participants from around the world have gathered at the Reed Messe Exhibition and Congress Centre in the Austrian capital, Vienna, to advocate responsible action on HIV and AIDS.
Dubbed the 18th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010), the event is considered the most important platform for addressing HIV and AIDS issues world-wide.
The event, which is scheduled between July 18 and July 23, 2010, is on the theme: “Rights Here, Right Now”.
The six-day event, which opened yesterday, is said to represent hope, progress, enlightenment and power to confront the epidemic.
Laid down programmes include discussions on the active protection of the human rights of those affected, universal access to HIV prevention and treatment, care and support for people living with HIV (PLHIVs).
About 50 participants from Ghana, including a 15-member government delegation, as well as members of civil society groups and some PLHIVs, are attending.
The International AIDS Conference, which is held biennially, is a premier gathering of those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, PLHIVs and other individuals committed to ending the epidemic.
It is a forum to assess the progress made, evaluate recent scientific developments and lessons learnt and collectively chart a course forward.
AIDS 2010 is an opportunity to highlight the critical connection between human rights and HIV, present new scientific knowledge and offer many opportunities from structured dialogue on the major issues facing the global response to HIV.
A statement signed by the international and the local chairmen of the 18th AIDS Conference, Julio Montaner and Brigitte Schimied, indicated that the conference would be the most important global gathering in the fight against the spread of AIDS, as well as a unique opportunity for science, communities, governments and leadership from around the world to advance the response to the epidemic.
"The conference will present timely and important data on leading HIV and AIDS issues and allow for sharing of lessons learned among developing and developed countries that will assist in bringing and supporting effective treatment and prevention programmes to countries around the world," it stated.
The event will be characterised by sessions, press conferences, exhibitions, workshops, poster presentations, screen presentations, animation, among others.