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International AIDS Conference Opens in Washington

People gather around a section of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, on the National Mall in Washington, July 21, 2012.

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VOA News

July 22, 2012

The International AIDS Conference opened Sunday with a call for the world's governments not to let tight budgets slow the fight against the disease.

San Francisco AIDS specialist Dr. Diane Havlir told delegates to the conference in Washington, D.C. that the world has a chance to "start to end AIDS." She said it would be an extraordinary failure of global will and conscience if financial cutbacks blocked that chance.

The United Nations says 34 million people lived with HIV / AIDS and 1.7 million died from the disease in 2011.

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This year's conference, called "Turning the Tide Together," is expected to attract more than 20,000 people. High-profile guests include former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former first lady Laura Bush, singer Elton John and actress Whoopi Goldberg.

More than 1,000 people marched through downtown Washington on Sunday to call attention to HIV / AIDS.

The biennial conference is being held in the United States for the first time in 22 years, after President Barack Obama lifted the U.S. ban on HIV infected travelers entering the United States.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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by: Raymond Murdock from: Washington DC

July 25, 2012 11:15 AM

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One more meeting of so many? And the problem remains the same, or worse the day after. If we are to take concietizacion individually for each disease to act and therefore see some result. Let us pray shift or meetings to find out what to do with something that should be more than obvious HYGIENE AND PROPHYLAXIS.-

by: mba k ekellechy from: nigeria

July 23, 2012 10:59 AM

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As the AIDS conference takes place much effort should be made to educate,inform and enlighten people on the means to protect,and manage HIV infections most especially in Africa where some outdated culture are still being practiced.and also all fund release to NGO and Government agencies should be monitored to ensure the are use for the purpose its meant for .

by: Yoshi from: Sapporo

July 23, 2012 10:51 AM

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I did not know that the U.S. government has been restricted foreign travelers with AIDS till recently. Were Americans infected AIDS also limited to go abroad? Isn't it a descrimination?

What's human rights? What's government duty? Obama administration passed the law aproving marrage between gays, eventhough homosexuals is no doubt main cause of AIDS. One of the Government duties would be protect citizens' lives, wouldn't it? New medicine surely protects and cures AIDS? New AIDS virus resistant to developed medicine must emerge. Stop gays, stop homosexuals, stop bisexuals!!

by: Joe from: Texus

July 23, 2012 12:41 AM

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Here's a big hint -- quit being Gay and your chances of getting infected go down astronomically.

In the USA the two major groups getting AIDS are homosexuals and the females who unwittingly sleep with bisexuals.

I know, so crazy, it JUST MIGHT WORK.

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