The United States Hosts a Conference for AIDS

The International Conference on AIDS opened in the United States this past Sunday with a call to governments around the world to budget for the fight against this disease.

Dr. Diane Havlir, an expert on AIDS from San Francisco, told the delegates at the conference in Washington D.C. that the world finally has the opportunity to “begin to eradicate AIDS.” According to her, the situation is unique, as delegates all around the world are being called on for funding. Not enough emphasis has been placed on eliminating AIDS before; 34 million people are currently living with HIV and AIDS all around the world, while 1.7 million people have already died from the disease.

This year, the conference is called “Turning the Tide Together” and is expected to attract over 20,000 people. High-level guests, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former First Lady Laura Bush, singer Elton John and actor Whoopi Goldberg, will be in attendance.

In support of the conference and to raise general awareness, more than 1,000 people marched the streets of Washington this past Sunday.