ASHM Report Back
Clinical posts from members and guests of the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) from various international medical and scientific conferences on HIV, AIDS, viral hepatitis, and sexual health.
Return to Durban
Tonight was a very moving opening ceremony for op
ening of the 21 st International AIDS conference. Many speakers made reference to the World AIDS meeting in 2000 and the great achievements of the last 16 years. From almost no access to treatment in Africa then, now more than 12 million people are receiving ART.
Today is also the birthday of Nelson Mandela. At the 2000 meeting he famously said "AIDS is caused by HIV". Leading up to the 2000 conference and at the opening the then president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, denied the role of HIV as the cause of AIDS.
I attended the 2000 meeting so it is exciting to be back in Durban. I am very much looking forward to reporting on new developments in HIV and HIV/HCV co-infection.
But I will leave it to Charlize Theron. Talking about a cure for HIV she said ".... we have to stop meeting like this..."