The INFO Project Blog

So the time has come to say good bye.  All HIV/AIDS activists, researchers and scientists must say good bye to each other.  This was truly an amazing event and I learned so much and met many interesting individuals.  There has been talk that a future conference may be in the United States, now that legislation has been passed repealing the short-term travel restrictions on individuals living with HIV/AIDS.   This conference was the first in Latin America, and was the second largest attended

The key note address of the closing session was given by Michel Katzatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (pictured below).   Mr. Katzatchinke mentioned four key areas where we need to focus on to achieve universal action (the theme of the conference):

• Human rights: Right for all individuals to decent care, including sexual and reproductive health care, the right to travel freely with HIV and the eradication of stigma and discrimination against homosexuals and men who have sex with men, women, youth, intravenous drug users, indigenous people and migrants.
• Increase in funding for AIDS Research: The presentation of operational research studies and their findings were under represented
• Advance the health systems agenda: AIDS has always been part of the solution in strengthening health systems (as was also mentioned in Bill Clinton’s speech)
• Sustainability of the global response to AIDS: All G8 members should match the US in their monetary response to AIDS (US just reauthorized the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief for $48 billions USD).  Individual countries need to do more to make AIDS a health priority.

The mayor of Mexico City, Marcelo Ebrard also addressed the audience, saying that a fundamental change in the culture of sexuality in Mexico City and Mexico needs to take place.  Individuals cannot be afraid to talk about sex, condoms, men who have sex with men, other sexual minorities, and sexual rights.   On the Monday following the conference, Mexico City policy makers will begin to come up with a plan to address ways to institute this fundamental change. Other speakers, including the outgoing head of the International AIDS Society and the incoming chair, mentioned that this would be known as the conference where prevention was married to treatment, meaning that the two were addressed in an integrated manner rather then separate spheres.  Mexico City community members, including a gay rights activist and a transgender rights activist also spoke to address the importance of reducing discrimination to achieve universal access.  A speaker from the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine at UKZN, South Africa also addressed the audience.  The school was a “virtual hub” for the conference  particpating virtually in one of the panels and watching all others via Webcast.

The conference organizers in Vienna were given the IAS globe, which the host country of the International AIDS conference possesses until the next conference is announced.

A video and podcast of the closing section can be found here.