Top 10 AIDS conference hits and misses
August 19, 2006
1
BEST POLITICAL MOVE
Federal Health Minister Tony Clement vowed to immediately do a "top to bottom" review of legislation created to send
cheap generic drugs to poor nations to fight HIV/AIDS. Not one pill has been sent since the law was passed two years
ago.
Canada's opportunity may become redundant if not fixed quickly, though. Groups like Doctors Without Borders are already
turning to other countries, such as India, for cheap generic drugs.
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2
BIGGEST DRAW Former U.S. president Bill Clinton drew standing-room-only crowds at every event
he attended, including an overflow news conference. When coupled with billionaire Bill Gates, as he was on two occasions,
the charismatic Clinton gave the conference star-power that more than made up for any absences from the Ottawa firmament.
The Two Bills, as they came to be known, were impassioned speakers who pledged massive amounts of money and unflagging
support in the battle against HIV/AIDS.
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3
BEST ACTIVIST MOVEMENT
The Grandmothers to Grandmothers initiative began as a modest idea from the Stephen Lewis Foundation, but grew into
an international cause célèbre this week. The Canadian grandmothers' campaign raises funds and awareness for their
African counterparts who are caring for grandchildren orphaned by AIDS. Last weekend, 100 African and 200
Canadian grandmothers stole the international limelight. The movement looks like it will take off
globally - U.S. Grammy winner Alicia Keys and British rock star Elton John plan to spread
the word back home.
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4
MAJOR SCIENTIFIC HIGHLIGHT Pivotal research released at the conference showed a new HIV drug called
MK-0518, developed by Merck and Co., works faster against the virus in some patients and targets a different
pathway than current antiretroviral therapies. The drug, entering Phase 3 trials, could benefit the 15 to 20
per cent of treated HIV-infected people who develop some degree of drug resistance.
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5
MOST POWERFUL MESSAGE Gender inequity in many sub-Saharan cultures is the key driver in the spread
of a disease now raging through the heterosexual community. Lacking the right to refuse sex or to demand their
partners wear a condom, women are often open targets for HIV infection. They now account for fully half of the
virus' victims globally.
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6
LEAST REPRESENTED GROUPThe conference suffered a shortage of delegates and scientific abstracts from Latin American
countries other than Brazil, according to some observers, including Dr. Pedro Cahn, incoming president of the International
AIDS Society. Cahn, one of Argentina's leading AIDS researchers, said he plans, said he plans to visit every country in
South and Central America to "ignite attention on AIDS" before the 2008 conference in Mexico.
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7
BIGGEST PUBLIC RELATIONS DISASTER It's too soon to tell if there will be any lasting damage from Stephen Harper's
refusal to attend and then cancel a major funding announcement at the conference. That memory may linger for many delegates.
But the utter disappointment for AIDS researchers will hopefully subside when the Conservatives finally make their announcement in the coming weeks.
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8
MOST PERVASIVE THEME The latest studies on microbicides and circumcision, not to mention oft-repeated
endorsements by Stephen Lewis, Bill Clinton and Bill and Melinda Gates, gave delegates hope that millions of lives
can be saved in the near future with promising HIV prevention tools other than condoms, clean needles and education.
Public health authorities are looking seriously at rolling out a continent-wide circumcision program in Africa. And
trial results of the first microbicide, or vaginal gel, to stop HIV are expected before the next conference in 2008.
However, both methods have cultural taboos to overcome.
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9
BIGGEST DONATION Inspired by this year's theme, "Time to Deliver," the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
announced a $500 million donation to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria days before the conference
opened. The Gatesescouple then used the event's international arena as an opportunity to challenge other donors, public and
private, to step up to the plate.
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10
MOST UBIQUITOUS DELEGATE Stephen Lewis, who will relinquish his position as the United Nations' special
envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa later this year, used this hometown conference as his swan song. He made the most of
the week, appearing at dozens of sessions, news conferences and interviews, including yesterday's closing ceremony.
According to no less an authority than Bill Clinton, Lewis has been enormously successful in getting out the message
about Africa's calamity. "The world is in your debt," he told Lewis.
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"Reproduced with permission - Torstar Syndication Services"
Toronto Star
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