AIDS 2008

The world's attention is shifting to Mexico City where the next International AIDS Conference (IAC) is scheduled to take place from August 3-8, 2008. Mexico city will be the first Latin American country to host a conference of this size; over 21'000 people attended the AIDS 2006 conference in Toronto.

The voices of women and girls will not be lost at the upcoming AIDS 2008 meeting in Mexico City from August 3-8. AIDS 2008 is the largest and most comprehensive gathering of organisations focused on HIV, and the World YWCA delegation will maintain a focus on women and girls throughout AIDS 2008.

UNAIDS has released a comprehensive report days before the start of AIDS 2008 stating that new HIV infections and AIDS related deaths are declining globally. Despite the progress that has been made however, the report acknowledges that the AIDS pandemic is not over for many parts of the world.

More than 450 Christians from all over the world will gather today in Mexico City to participate in a three-day Ecumenical Pre-Conference to explore the challenges posed by the HIV and AIDS pandemic to people of faith.

The voices of youth have not been forgotten at the AIDS 2008 Ecumenical Pre-Conference. The Youth Caucus held its first meeting on July 31 and 19 youth participants, including 15 young women, showed up for the first meeting and youth stream coordinators Dan Pieper and Marie-Claude Julsaint; World YWCA Programme Director for the Americas and Caribbean, are expecting many more at the second meeting on August 1.

"Imagine a world where you can walk into a room and say ‘ I am HIV positive’ and the response was ‘It’s ok, we love you and we are here for you, and we are all going to die one day anyway and how you got HIV is not important. The fact is that it is here, so let’s deal with this together’. Imagine a world with no stigma. More than half the challenge would be won."

Young people delivered a strong message at the end of the Ecumenical Pre-Conference AIDS 2008, leaving no doubt that youth AIDS advocates want to be involved in ending the pandemic.

YWCA women from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in the Women’s Networking Zone at the AIDS 2008 conference in Mexico City on August 4 to share their innovative and creative approaches in HIV prevention throughout the region.

‘All Women, All Rights’ shouted women and girls in Mexico City who attended the Women and Girls Rally and March at AIDS 2008. Women and girls from all walks of life, faiths, ages, education, cultures and HIV status joined in solidarity to raise awareness of the gap between international commitments and the reality in the response to women and HIV.

The World YWCA took the opportunity at the worlds largest international AIDS conference in Mexico City to launch ‘Nothing About Us Without Us: a report from the HIV-Positive Women’s Forum’ on August 4.The report evaluates the Positive Women’s Forum – an unprecedented meeting held on July 4 2007 in Nairobi Kenya as part of the International Women’s Summit on HIV and AIDS.