AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue No. 346, July 7, 2000
John S. James
The complete text of the Durban Declaration, the list of signers, and the committee of more than 250 scientists who put it together are available at http://www.nature.com . Also, the Durban Declaration has its own Web site, http://www.durbandeclaration.org, including translations of the declaration into different languages.
From the Durban Declaration:
"The evidence that AIDS is caused by HIV-1 or HIV-2 is clear- cut, exhaustive and unambiguous, meeting the highest standards of science. The data fulfill exactly the same criteria as for other viral diseases, such as polio, measles and smallpox:
"* Patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, regardless of where they live, are infected with HIV.
"* If not treated, most people with HIV infection show signs of AIDS within 5-10 years. HIV infection is identified in blood by detecting antibodies, gene sequences or viral isolation. These tests are as reliable as any used for detecting other virus infections.
"* People who receive HIV-contaminated blood or blood products develop AIDS, whereas those who receive untainted or screened blood do not.
"* Most children who develop AIDS are born to HIV-infected mothers. The higher the viral load in the mother, the greater the risk of the child becoming infected.
"* In the laboratory, HIV infects the exact type of white blood cell (CD4 lymphocytes) that becomes depleted in people with AIDS.
"* Drugs that block HIV replication in the test tube also reduce viral load in people and delay progression to AIDS. Where available, treatment has reduced AIDS mortality by more than 80%."
According to a July 2 article in THE WASHINGTON POST, officials and researchers working for the U.S. government where told not to sign an early draft of the declaration which circulated before South African President Mbeki's U.S. visit several weeks ago. After the visit several did sign, including Helene Gayle, head of the AIDS office of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One who did not sign was Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. His explanation was quoted as follows in THE WASHINGTON POST: "I think in a backhanded way it gives them [AIDS doubters] greater credibility. It's sort of like a bunch of people saying the Earth is flat, and then you have to get everyone in the aerospace world to say that the Earth is round. That's crazy."
Also according to the POST, the Durban Declaration "was conceived in April by Peter Hale, an editor with the AIDS Research Alliance in Los Angeles, and a handful of American and European AIDS researchers. The group ultimately enlisted an 'organizing committee' of 265 scientists and physicians, including three Nobel laureates. Among the many African members is M.W. Makgoba, the head of the Medical Research Council of South Africa, the equivalent of the [U.S.] National Institutes of Health."
Additional Information on HIV, AIDS Link
The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases maintains a Web page of links to information on HIV and AIDS. It is at: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/spotlight/hiv00/default.htm
An important article in the July 5, 2000 VILLAGE VOICE, "Proof Positive," by Mark Schoofs (who recently won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on AIDS in Africa) reports on the contribution of African scientists to showing that HIV causes AIDS. It is available at: http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0027/schoofs.shtml
000707
ATN34603
Copyright © 2000 - AIDS Treatment News. Permission granted for noncommercial reproduction, provided that our address and phone number are included if more than short quotations are used. Subscription lists are kept confidential. AIDS Treatment News, Subscription and Editorial Office: 1233 Locust St., 5th floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 800/TREAT-1-2 toll-free email: aidsnews@critpath.org http://www.aidsnews.org
Subscription Information: Call 800/TREAT-1-2: Businesses, Institutions, Professionals: $270/year. Includes early delivery of an extra copy by email. Nonprofit organizations: $135/year. Includes early delivery of an extra copy by email. Individuals: $120/year, or $70 for six months. Special discount for persons with financial difficulties: $54/year, or $30 for six months. If you cannot afford a subscription, please write or call. Outside North, Central, or South America, add air mail postage: $20/year, $10 for six months. Back issues available. Fax subscriptions, bulk rates, and multiple subscriptions are available; contact our office for details. Please send U.S. funds: personal check or bank draft, international postal money order, or travelers checks. VISA, Mastercard, and purchase orders also accepted. ISSN # 1052-4207
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2000. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2000. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .