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More prevention, better access to medicine against AIDS

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-05 13:06

MEXICO CITY  -- HIV/AIDS experts, gathering here from Sunday for the 17th International AIDS Conference, called for more prevention and better access to anti-AIDS medicine on Monday.

Related readings:  Clinton stresses importance of HIV/AIDS prevention  HIV/AIDS talks start in Mexico  Study: gay, bisexual men still at high risk for HIV  Over 500,000 young people in Latin America with HIV

Jaime Sepulveda, who works for the Foundation "Bill and Melinda Gates", said it is necessary to make massive changes and take into account the success in specific region in order to apply them in a global way to fight against the epidemic.

Sepulveda, who directs the foundation's Integrated Health Solutions Development program, said over 2 million people infected with the HIV die of having no access to the medicine.

"We know how much money has been spent on the fight against AIDS but we don't know how much investment in AIDS prevention is truly effective," he said.

Alex Coutinho of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University said it is hardly accepted that about 10 percent of the vulnerable population do not have efficient access to the preventive measure against AIDS.

He also urged the authorities and media to adopt necessary and effective means to popularize sexual education.

The conference will end on August 8 with issues of human rights, gender and health system topping the agenda.

It is the first time for a Latin American country to hold such a meeting.