AIDS 2008
Children will be given their rightful place at the 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico City this year through a series of events such as a youth forum as well as key expert presentations. In 2007, an estimated 270,000 children under the age of 15 died of HIV-related causes while 15 million children lost one or both parents to AIDS. Millions more have experienced deepening poverty, school drop-out and discrimination as a result of the pandemic.
Children have been the missing face of AIDS, and this must change. Results will be measured in lives saved and lives improved." Ann M. Veneman Twelve year old AIDS activist Keren Gonzalez from Honduras is one of the featured guests who will share the stage with leaders such as the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the former US President and founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation, Bill Clinton. The week long XVII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) is taking place at a unique moment in the epidemic, when there is widespread consensus on the urgency of ensuring universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. In 2005, world leaders acting through the United Nations committed to the goal of providing universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support to all those in need by 2010. AIDS 2008 is a collective opportunity to evaluate progress towards this goal and identify strategies for accelerating prevention and treatment scale up. Central to these deliberations will be a discussion of how specifically to tackle the underlying drivers of HIV risk and vulnerability – including gender inequality, human rights violations and HIV-related stigma and discrimination. UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman is heading a UNICEF delegation, where she will lead a session entitled 'Keeping the promise: Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS.' About 25,000 people are expected to attend, including political and public health leaders, and young people affected by AIDS. The Conference will be held in Mexico City from 3 – 8 August 2008.
AIDS 2008: Newsline Unite against AIDS |
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