iClinic - July 14, 2000
Marjolein Harvey
"I don't know if the silence has been completely broken. We all know that efforts will not be successful without the political will of governments and without the non-episodic commitment of the north of the world towards the south", Vella said at the closing ceremony on Friday.
"I believe it may still need years of continued commitment from communities around the world."
The conference ended with former President Nelson Mandela articulating clearly what still needs to be done, and Vella says that a "process [has] started here that nobody will have the courage to step down from".
What has emerged from the conference and has made it a success is the realisation that the informed patient - and there were hundreds of people livingwith HIV/AIDS here- is a very powerful tool in the response to HIV/AIDS.
The global network created here is very much aware of what is now possible, via the many reports and news stories that have emerged from this conference.
The issue of treatment and access to treatment has taken centre stage in a reboosted advocacy by local and international organisations, who found a powerful platform in Durban this week.
Most importantly, from now on governments will be held accountable, and it is likely that many will re-evaluate their response to HIV/AIDS in their own countries after this conference.
The conference cost R60 million to put together, most funds coming from internatiuonal sponsors.
And despite some cancellations due to the HIV/AIDS debate brought about by President Thabo Mbeki, concerns that Durban would not be able to handle such a large-scale event, and the distance for some, 1,000 more paying delegates registered than anticipated.
One of most promising scientific results to emerge at the conference was that of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) research, which found that one year after just two doses of nevirapine given to mother and child, the benefits were still felt, even if the mother was breastfeeding.
The conference is expected to highlight the way forward to Barcelona, where the 14th AIDS conference will be held in 2002 and where more conrete results of this week's scientific presentations are expected.
Vella said, however, that this was a "conference where we should have brought our children, as our commtiment is to teach future generations how to fight AIDS".
He went on to say: "This is a conference we will never forget," adding that the International AIDS Society will continue bringing conferences to the south of the world.
If anything, the feeling that the debate on whether HIV causes AIDS no longer has a place was voiced by many of the delegates.
The AIDS 2000 conference was held under the auspices of the International AIDS Society and was coorganised by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the internaitonal community of women living with AIDS (ICW), the International Council of AIDS Service Organisations (ICASO), and the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS.
The conference organisers were assisted by a pool of 1 000 dedicated and energetic volunteers who ushered delegates, cared for children, and assisted in the media centre, the administration offices and the lounge for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Some of the latest conference statistics: there were 12,700 registrants, 8,000 delegates, 1,459 journalists, 700 volunteers, 550 students and 1,500 scholars.
People at the conference represented Africa (4,560), Europe (3,001), North America (2,829), South and Central America (815) and Asia and the Pacific
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