Officials Announce XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto To Address HIV Among Aboriginals
Officials last week on World AIDS Day announced that attendees of the 2006 XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto will discuss "the uniquely Canadian issue" of a high number of HIV-positive aboriginals, the CP/CTV.ca reports. Conference Co-Chair Marc Wainberg said, "We as Canadians dropped the ball by continuing to allow our first citizens to suffer so much, and not to have benefited from the scientific and educational advances that have been served to the benefit of so many Canadians from coast to coast" (CP/CTV.ca, 12/1). One-third of HIV-positive Canadians are aboriginal, according to officials. The conference, which will take place Aug. 13-18 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, is expected to host an estimated 20,000 scientists and experts and 2,500 journalists. For the first time, the event will feature a symposium on children living with HIV/AIDS that will be organized by the Hospital for Sick Children and the Teresa Group, the Toronto Star reports (Goddard, Toronto Star, 12/2). The conference also will mark the 10th anniversary of highly active antiretroviral therapy, which is believed to be "a significant breakthrough" in battling the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the CP/CTV.ca reports (CP/CTV.ca, 12/1).
Kaisernetwork.org will serve as the official webcaster of the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto. Kaisernetwork.org's coverage of the XV International AIDS Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand, is available online.