Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) - August 3, 2005
African bias: The tragic situation in Africa has led Aids researchers to ignore the realities of other regions of the world, including Latin America, local activists stressed at the end of a major international conference held in Brazil last week.
A prime example is the impact made by a recent study that recommends male circumcision as a means of preventing HIV infection, presented at the Third International Aids Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment, which took place from Sunday through to Wednesday last week in Rio de Janeiro.
Using circumcision to prevent the spread of HIV, the virus that causes Aids, "does not correspond to Latin American realities, in terms of sexual behaviour and culture," Dalva Pereira Lopes, a member of the International Community of Women Living With HIV/ Aids, said.
"This is important for Africa, but not for Latin America," said Katia Braga Edmundo, a coordinator with the Centre for the Promotion of Health.
The conference highlighted advances made in the development of Aids drugs, as well as crucial issues such as "re-infection", the results of which are "more serious than had been imagined", said Edmundo.
But research focused on Africa tends to draw attention away from aspects that are of particular interest to Latin America, where drug treatment has been available to people living with HIV/Aids for a longer period of time, she said.
The conference, aimed primarily at the scientific, pharmaceutical and medical community, drew together 5 500 researchers, health authorities, health professionals and people living with HIV/Aids from 128 countries.
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