SA AIDS Conference gets off the ground with a bang

The South African AIDS Conference opened this weekend at the International Conference Centre in Durban in the heat of controversial issues surrounding the epidemic in the country. Some of which are the call for a treatment campaign, questionable nutritional stances from government and the latest questioning of the efficacy of Nevirapine.

Nearly 3000 delegates gathered at the conference opening last night were many were vocal about their concerns. Minister of Health, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang battled to speak under the desperate shouts from protesters demanding treatment for AIDS, but held her composure to complete a discussion praising the achievements of government to date in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

"Irresponsible statements like that the South African government is committing genocide by not providing antiretroviral drugs is politically dangerous. We should not play political games about such an emotional statements."

Also speaking at the opening session were Deputy President Jacob Zuma and UNAIDS Executive director Dr Peter Piot. South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma, said, "some people sometimes feel that the government is not caring for people that are infected with HIV and AIDS by not providing them with antiretroviral therapy."

"We are in the process of finalising several international agreements to ensure access to medication to the many people infected with HIV and AIDS."

"The challenge lies in powerful and continuous action to prevent new infections and to provide care and support for the many who are infected or affected."

In a televised message, UNAIDS executive director Dr Peter Piot told delegates the epidemic had added a new dimension to the gap between the haves and the have nots and also called for treatment action.

"The rich who are living with HIV have access to antiretroviral treatment and the poor who are living with HIV do not", Piot said.

The Conference will span over the next three days and cover five primary tracks including:

• Basic Science and Clinical Science:
This track covers virology, microbiology, immunology and molecular biology research relevant for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of HIV/AIDS, clinical research, including topics such as the clinical course of HIV infection, prevention and treatment of opportunistic diseases, anti-retroviral therapies, and clinical trials for preventing mother to child transmission, gene therapy and provision of care.


• Epidemiology, Prevention and Public Health:
Covers research on descriptive and molecular epidemiology of HIV transmission and risk factors, natural history, progression of the disease and survival, evaluation of biomedical and behavioural preventive interventions, and public health strategies.


• Social & Economic Sciences:
Devoted to a broad range of behavioural and social sciences, including economics, Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology. This track concerns the social theory that underpins response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Rights, Politics, Commitment and Action: Explores how policies and programmes are created, debated, applied and evaluated.


• Startling Successes & Spectacular Failures/Projects & Programmes:
This track allows for both data-driven and non-data-driven abstracts that cover a range of projects and programmatic interventions in the HIV and AIDS field, covering the range of prevention, treatment, care and support activities.


• Human Rights, Ethics, Commitment & Action:
This track sets out to examine a range of issues and explores the commitment and action of our leaders and those in charge of programmes, be they research or operational. The ethics of the responses of the State and other structures around HIV will also be examined, as well as how policies and programmes are created, implemented and evaluated.