Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - July 17, 2004
Saritdet Marukatat and Apiradee Treerutkuarkul
Shaun Mellors, the South African Aids activist who represented members of the community programme, said activists would have to monitor commitments to ensure they did not end up on the shelf.
Activists and community workers must find ways to stop paying for failed commitments, he said.
The conference drew 17,000 delegates to 90 sessions over six days. About 9,800 of them paid US$1,000 (40,000 baht) for access. The meeting budget was $17 million.
Health workers and NGOs criticised the entrance fee, which they said stopped poor people joining. "What about access to the conference?" he asked.
Activists were unhappy about progress in a plan to give three million patients in poor countries anti-retroviral therapy by 2005, under a campaign run by the World Health Organisation and UNAids, with financial contributions from rich countries on the Global Fund.
They look at the project, widely known as "3 x 5," with growing skepticism as treatment is now likely to reach only 400,000 people, despite WHO's promises that the target would be achieved.
The Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria fund needs $3.5 billion by next year, but rich countries supporting the project have put up only 20% of the amount so far.
"Who do we hold accountable if commitments are not achieved?" said Mr Mellors.
Peter Piot, the UNAids executive director, said donor nations should contribute their share to the fund and other programmes. Aids should be given a priority in their budget allocations, he said.
Debrework Zewdie, who heads the Global HIV/Aids Programme for the World Bank, said Aids patients and health advocates wanted promises turned into action.
Edward Greene from the Caribbean Community said government policies should be practical, not ideological. "Policies must be based on science and reality rather than ideology and idealism," he said, apparently referring to United States support for abstinence rather than use of condoms.
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