20th International AIDS Conference (1) 20th International AIDS 2014 Conference

Although 45 million cases worldwide suffer from AIDS, the virus is mutating at an unusually rapid rate, and currently, there is no fundamental cure or vaccine. Melbourne Sky Magazine was the only Korean media outlet invited to participate in the International AIDS 2014 Conference.

It was a forum to present and discuss various studies and cases aimed at preventing and treating AIDS, a type of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. For this meeting, former President Bill Clinton, the chair of the International AIDS Association (ISA), the UNAIDS Executive Director, representatives from over 200 countries, 1,200 journalists, and more than 14,000 medical professionals, scientists, and activists came to Melbourne. The meeting was held over six days from the 20th to the 25th at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

This year's summit was conducted calmly in a more solemn atmosphere than ever before. This was because six experts scheduled to attend the summit lost their lives last week in a Malaysian passenger plane shootdown. At the opening ceremony, the originally planned fireworks display was canceled, and a time was set aside to honor the victims.

Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Nobel laureate, president of the International AIDS Society, and chair of this conference, began the opening ceremony by saying that the efforts of those who sacrificed their lives to participate in AIDS 2014 will be remembered forever, and that the glory of this event is dedicated to them.

Next, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered a message via video. He expressed sorrow for those who lost their lives in the passenger plane shootdown and expressed hope that this meeting would provide an opportunity to reach the end of the AIDS epidemic. He visited Egypt to mediate the armistice between Israel and Hamas but was unable to attend.

Dr. Joep Lange, a former ISA president and renowned researcher, was so dedicated that he asked whether there is any reason for us to discuss the supply of treatments here, given that Africa is so full of places where people cannot even drink a glass of cold beer or cola.

The biennial International AIDS Conference consists of scientists, healthcare professionals, activists, and policymakers working in the field of HIV researching and preventing the spread of the disease.

Through this meeting, they shared and communicated research processes, achievements, and scientific knowledge. Moreover, these efforts will present great opportunities for researchers from around the world.

AIDS is known as the modern Black Death. Although science and medical technology have advanced considerably, AIDS is an incurable disease where we live today. There are no cures or preventive vaccines.

Some published studies have shown that HIV disappeared through bone marrow transplantation, but relapse has led to no effective solution.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), which refers to the human immunodeficiency virus, is the causative virus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Infection with this virus is called HIV or HIV infection.

When infected with HIV, the immune cells in our body—CD4-positive T lymphocytes—are infected and destroyed by this virus, lowering immunity and leading to various infectious diseases and tumors, which can lead to death. When the body's immunity is significantly weakened and these infections and tumors begin to appear, it is called AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

HIV is commonly transmitted through sexual intercourse, blood transfusions or blood products, medical accidents involving needle among hospital workers, and transmission from an infected mother to a newborn. Generally, 50% of people infected with HIV progress to AIDS.

The virus can be divided into three stages before it spreads into the disease AIDS: acute HIV syndrome (3~6 weeks later) in the early stages of infection, followed by an asymptomatic incubation period (4~10 years), and a period when immunity drops significantly and various pathological symptoms appear.

However, HIV/AIDS remains an incurable disease even today. To prevent AIDS, it is essential to avoid exposure to HIV transmission routes. When having sex with someone whose HIV status has not been confirmed, condoms must be used.

Additionally, if the mother is HIV-positive, the fetus has a higher risk of contracting HIV. In this case, administering anti-HIV medication to pregnant women from the second trimester reduces the chance of fetal infection to less than 1%. Everyone's efforts are needed to prevent the spread of AIDS.

On the third day of the summit, the 23rd, Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, visited the International AIDS Conference. He established the Clinton Foundation to help those suffering from AIDS.

During this meeting, he noted that although the world has expanded HIV treatment to millions of people, more than 2 million people still contract AIDS every year, with about 4 people infected every minute suffering from it. He especially emphasized that support should be provided over the next 3~5 years to help poor countries achieve concrete goals, and that HIV infection through breastfeeding should be drastically reduced, and babies infected with HIV from birth should receive immediate treatment.

He also emphasized that half of new HIV infections in children occur during the breastfeeding period, and that caring for HIV-infected mothers until breastfeeding ends is probably the most important task and task for achieving an 'AIDS-free generation.'

His speech, attended by thousands of scientists, activists, and journalists, was briefly interrupted due to protesters holding banners proposing a 'Robin Hood' tax on financial transactions to raise funds to eradicate HIV and AIDS. He said that although this conference was a conference, it was actually a movement, and that it was natural for someone to stand up and speak their case, which helped many to agree.