Themes from the International AIDS Conference

Today marks the end of the 17th International AIDS Conference. 25,000 delegates were in Mexico City this week to discuss the current state of the pandemic. While I was not able to attend this year’s conference, I have been following the proceedings online. What were some of the major themes? The infection rate in the US is higher than previously thought. We need to do a better job reaching out to men who have sex with men. We need to develop an effective microbicide. We need to serve our children more effectively. New media – blogs, podcasts, twitter, mobile phones – may help us get the message out.

Because of AIDS conference, there have been numerous reports about HIV/AIDS this week. Here are a few that I found interesting.

At InsideBayArea.com, Josh Richman tells us that Representative Barbara Lee (D – Oakland) has called for a domestic PEPFAR, stating that we need to spend billions here to fight HIV/AIDS.

At HuffingtonPost.com, Tamsin Smith urges us to develop intervention programs specifically designed to empower girls.

Also at HuffingtonPost.com, James Boyce makes a strong argument in favor of (RED). He argues that programs like this, termed Creative Capitalism by Bill Gates, work.

I hope you take the time to read this articles. And feel free to comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time, I’m Dave Wessner.