MONTREAL — A major AIDS conference in Montreal highlighted the tremendous progress made in HIV research and also succeeded in bringing scientists and activists together despite visa problems, organizers say.
Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy, local co-chair of the AIDS 2022 conference, said the biggest breakthrough presented was research showing that a single injection of a long-acting antiretroviral drug can prevent people from acquiring HIV infection for two months. replacing daily pills.
Other research presented at the five-day conference, which ended Tuesday, shows that a cure for HIV is possible and that steps toward it are being made, even if progress is slow, he said.
“The progress in knowledge is tremendous. It hasn’t led to cures today, but we’re getting closer,” he said in an interview Tuesday.
But as the conference wound down, speakers frequently cited delays and visa denials that prevented hundreds of delegates from attending, including people scheduled to speak at the conference and staff from the International AIDS Society, the HIV professional association that organized the conference.
Ruthie said he was “disappointed” with the Canadian government, but that people from 172 countries were able to attend and that the majority of participants were from developing countries.
Tinashe Rufurwadzo, director of programs, management and governance at Y+ Global, an international HIV-positive youth organization, said while there were great exchanges at the conference, some young activists were missing.
“It’s kind of bittersweet. We were able to connect with people personally, but there are other critical voices that we missed at this conference,” he said.
Those who attended had the opportunity to meet government officials and pharmaceutical company executives, something that would otherwise not have been possible for young activists.
“The only place we can reach them is here, when we have coffee after the sessions, when people are easily accessible,” he said.
While the conference was held in a hybrid fashion, with remote participants able to attend most sessions online, Rufurwadzo said the high cost of data in many African countries limited access and people who actually attended could not participate as fully as those who watched in person.
Rooty said the conference was also an opportunity to push for change in Canada.
On Monday, the federal government announced $17.9 million to increase access to HIV testing in remote communities and hard-to-reach populations.
“This money is very welcome and it goes where there was a weakness in our system and it’s still a great effort from Canada, even if it came a little late,” Rooty said. “What matters is that things are changing and that this conference is leading to a change in mindset.”
About half of this money will go towards funding the distribution of self-checks.
Those who know their HIV status can access treatment by protecting themselves and preventing them from passing the virus on to their partners, Ruti said.
Shamin Mohamed Jr., founder and president of LetsStopAIDS, a Toronto-based nonprofit that focuses on youth, said access to self-testing will help young people know their HIV status.
But he said there are still unanswered questions about how the organizations that will distribute the tests will support those who test positive.
“When someone tests positive, do they have the emotional support they need behind them?” he said in an interview on Tuesday.
HIV testing should also be normalized, he said, adding that he was concerned that young people could be chased from their homes if their parents found a self-testing kit.
While self-testing can reach young people who might not otherwise get tested for HIV, he said support is needed to ensure people who test positive know how to access treatment, and that cost doesn’t make it out of reach.
As federal health minister Jean-Yves Duclos prepared to address the closing session of the conference, a group of protesters criticized the lack of funding for aftercare as part of the expansion of self-tests.
More than 9,000 people were scheduled to attend the five-day conference in person, while another 2,000 people had registered to attend online.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 2, 2022.
Jacob Serebrin, The Canadian Press
title: “Progress Made At Montreal Aids Conference Despite Visa Problems Organizers Say " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-19” author: “Grace Goetzinger”
A major AIDS conference in Montreal highlighted the huge progress made in HIV research and also succeeded in bringing together scientists and activists despite visa problems, organizers say. Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy, local co-chair of the AIDS 2022 conference, said the biggest breakthrough presented was research showing that a single injection of a long-acting antiretroviral drug can prevent people from acquiring HIV infection for two months, replacing daily pills. Other research presented at the five-day conference, which ended Tuesday, shows that a cure for HIV is possible and that steps toward it are being made, even if progress is slow, he said. “The progress in knowledge is tremendous. It hasn’t led to cures today, but we’re getting closer,” he said in an interview Tuesday. But as the conference wound down, speakers frequently cited delays and visa denials that prevented hundreds of delegates from attending, including people scheduled to speak at the conference and staff from the International AIDS Society, the HIV professional association that organized the conference. Ruthie said he was “disappointed” with the Canadian government, but that people from 172 countries were able to attend and that the majority of participants were from developing countries. Tinashe Rufurwadzo, director of programs, management and governance at Y+ Global, an international HIV-positive youth organization, said while there were great exchanges at the conference, some young activists were missing. “It’s kind of bittersweet. We were able to connect with people personally, but there are other critical voices that we missed at this conference,” he said. Those who attended had the opportunity to meet government officials and pharmaceutical company executives, something that would otherwise not have been possible for young activists. “The only place we can reach them is here, when we have coffee after the sessions, when people are easily accessible,” he said. While the conference was held in a hybrid fashion, with remote participants able to attend most sessions online, Rufurwadzo said the high cost of data in many African countries limited access and people who actually attended could not participate as fully as those who watched in person. Rooty said the conference was also an opportunity to push for change in Canada. On Monday, the federal government announced $17.9 million to increase access to HIV testing in remote communities and hard-to-reach populations. “This money is very welcome and it goes where there was a weakness in our system and it’s still a great effort from Canada, even if it came a little late,” Rooty said. “What matters is that things are changing and that this conference is leading to a change in mindset.” About half of this money will go towards funding the distribution of self-checks. Those who know their HIV status can access treatment by protecting themselves and preventing them from passing the virus on to their partners, Ruti said. Shamin Mohamed Jr., founder and president of LetsStopAIDS, a Toronto-based nonprofit that focuses on youth, said access to self-testing will help young people know their HIV status. But he said there are still unanswered questions about how the organizations that will distribute the tests will support those who test positive. “When someone tests positive, do they have the emotional support they need behind them?” he said in an interview on Tuesday. HIV testing should also be normalized, he said, adding that he was concerned that young people could be chased from their homes if their parents found a self-testing kit. While self-testing can reach young people who might not otherwise get tested for HIV, he said support is needed to ensure people who test positive know how to access treatment, and that cost doesn’t make it out of reach. As federal health minister Jean-Yves Duclos prepared to address the closing session of the conference, a group of protesters criticized the lack of funding for aftercare as part of the expansion of self-tests. More than 9,000 people were scheduled to attend the five-day conference in person, while another 2,000 people had registered to attend online. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 2, 2022.
