Wednesday, July 28, 2004
IAC 2004 Bangkok
As the curtain falls on the IAC 2004 in Bangkok, and we move towards the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually transmitted infections in Africa (ICASA) 2005 in Abuja, Nigeria’s sprawling capital city – a very beautiful one and arguably one of the fastest growing cities in today’s world- it is imperative that all hands must be on deck so that the lessons of Bangkok are built upon to ensure a very successful conference.
Already, with the theme as "HIV/AIDS and the Family", and coming on the heels of previous and similar conferences held in the same city such as the year 2001 African summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and other infectious diseases and the 4th National Conference on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria held in 2004, the elements of ‘access to all’ would still echo at Abuja.
As a biennial event that brings together all stakeholders on HIV/AIDS from within and outside Africa, ICASA 2005 would afford another opportunity for countries, companies, communities, groups and individuals to present updates and take stock of the various responses to the epidemic and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) especially in the continent. It would be time once more to showcase achievements, constraints and best practices recorded in providing ‘access to all’ through effective implementation of preventive, care, supportive and other control programmes undertaken and or envisaged to be undertaken.
It is imperative to initiate and or strengthen without further delays, actions for clear, affordable, applicable and adaptable policies and programmes which seek to provide universal access to HIV/AIDS education and information, ensure the availability and affordability of HIV/AIDS-related medicines including life-extending treatments, enhance overall nutrition and food security, out rightly condemn and abhour all forms of HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination regardless of race, creed or reasons, mobilize enough resources and funding for HIV/AIDS control activities whether in the high-rises of New York or the
In doing so, all measures which have even the slightest chances of reducing the spread and impact of the disease must not be ignored. These include measures which address post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for all those at risk for the disease resulting from their occupation or accidents, provision and distribution of male and female condoms, investments in microbicides and vaccines initiatives, massive provision of medicines for tuberculosis (TB), Kaposi's Sarcoma, STIs, thrush, meningitis and other HIV/AIDS opportunistic and or co-infections. Others measures include generating/updating protocols for diagnosis, research, drugs availability and clinical/home-based care and
carers, including the avowed commitment of 15% of annual national budgets to improve health, particularly HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria provision of good governance at all levels for practical self-evident and visible improvement in the welfare and living standards of our people in order to check the so-called brain drain, devising local ways to access/take all the benefits of the Doha declarations, etc.
The time has indeed come, for our countries and communities to provide enhanced ‘access to all’ our people who are infected and or affected by HIV/AIDS, with or without the almighty donor support.
Already, with the theme as "HIV/AIDS and the Family", and coming on the heels of previous and similar conferences held in the same city such as the year 2001 African summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and other infectious diseases and the 4th National Conference on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria held in 2004, the elements of ‘access to all’ would still echo at Abuja.
As a biennial event that brings together all stakeholders on HIV/AIDS from within and outside Africa, ICASA 2005 would afford another opportunity for countries, companies, communities, groups and individuals to present updates and take stock of the various responses to the epidemic and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) especially in the continent. It would be time once more to showcase achievements, constraints and best practices recorded in providing ‘access to all’ through effective implementation of preventive, care, supportive and other control programmes undertaken and or envisaged to be undertaken.
It is imperative to initiate and or strengthen without further delays, actions for clear, affordable, applicable and adaptable policies and programmes which seek to provide universal access to HIV/AIDS education and information, ensure the availability and affordability of HIV/AIDS-related medicines including life-extending treatments, enhance overall nutrition and food security, out rightly condemn and abhour all forms of HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination regardless of race, creed or reasons, mobilize enough resources and funding for HIV/AIDS control activities whether in the high-rises of New York or the
In doing so, all measures which have even the slightest chances of reducing the spread and impact of the disease must not be ignored. These include measures which address post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for all those at risk for the disease resulting from their occupation or accidents, provision and distribution of male and female condoms, investments in microbicides and vaccines initiatives, massive provision of medicines for tuberculosis (TB), Kaposi's Sarcoma, STIs, thrush, meningitis and other HIV/AIDS opportunistic and or co-infections. Others measures include generating/updating protocols for diagnosis, research, drugs availability and clinical/home-based care and
carers, including the avowed commitment of 15% of annual national budgets to improve health, particularly HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria provision of good governance at all levels for practical self-evident and visible improvement in the welfare and living standards of our people in order to check the so-called brain drain, devising local ways to access/take all the benefits of the Doha declarations, etc.
The time has indeed come, for our countries and communities to provide enhanced ‘access to all’ our people who are infected and or affected by HIV/AIDS, with or without the almighty donor support.
