Stephen Lewis, the UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, on
Friday slammed the G-8 countries for not living up to AIDS funding
promises, when wrapping up the week-long international conference
on the epidemic.
Lewis, whose term concludes at the end of this year, also
insisted in a strongly worded keynote speech that the tragic spread
of HIV cannot be stemmed until gender inequality was righted.
"It's the one area of HIV and AIDS that leaves me feeling most
helpless and most enraged."
Expansion of programs to deliver life-saving HIV drugs to those
in need in developed and developing countries was growing at a
moderate rate, he said.
But the costs of striving towards universal access for all in
need were enormous and it was not clear where the funds will come
from, he said.
"We are on the cusp of a huge financial crisis,'' Lewis warned
the gathering, noting that the G-8 countries have not lived up to
the pledging promises they made to the Global Fund for AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria at their 2005 summit in Gleneagles,
Scotland.
"No one is asking for any more than was promised,'' he said.
"Everything in the battle against AIDS is being jeopardized by the
G8.''
He went on to call upon conference delegates - estimated at
31,000 from 140 countries - to hold people and governments
accountable and not to let the G8 "off the hook."
During its six days, the conference drew a number of
high-profile speakers, including former US president Bill Clinton
and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
Dr. Mark Wainberg, Canadian co-chair of the conference, said the
conference has presented groundbreaking science, lots of
information and new drugs and prevention strategies "giving hope to
the future."
"We have shown here this week that partnerships that link
science, medicine, community and political activism can translate
into action."
Anders Nordstrom, acting director general of the World Health
Organization, highlighted three key elements to conquering the
disease: money, medicines and a motivated workforce.
He said more funding was needed for HIV/AIDS programs, access to
drugs worldwide needs to be improved, and most importantly, more
health workers were required.
"There are too few people with the right skills," said
Nordstrom." More people registered to attend this conference than
there are doctors in the whole of Eastern and Central Africa."
The closing festivities also included cultural performances and
a handover ceremony with Toronto Mayor David Miller and Julio
Frenk, Mexico's minister of health.
The next International AIDS Conference will be in 2008 in Mexico
City.
According to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS), at the end of 2005 an estimated 39 million people
worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS, the vast majority in
developing countries.
The virulent virus -- for which scientists have yet to develop a
vaccine -- has killed an estimated 25 million people since the
first cases of HIV were reported 25 years ago.
(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2006)
