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From the 19th International AIDS Conference

28/07/2010

By Kelly Davis, Executive Producer, Global Health TV

The AIDS conference has made its mark on Vienna. Activists have been handing out condoms to commuters and the presence of Bills Gates and Clinton has made the front pages. Many at the event have questioned the choice of host city, particularly criticising the Austrian government's failure to donate to the Global Fund. Organisers say they wanted to highlight the treatment of those living with HIV and AIDS in Eastern Europe but couldn't find a suitable venue.

Given reports of drug users, gay men and sex workers being denied access to healthcare in parts of that region some see this conference, with its powerful human rights message, as lacking the teeth it might have had had it been held in a more obviously "AIDS-appropriate" setting. This in turn highlights that while a lot has been achieved in some parts of the world, to deliver universal coverage and reduce stigma for others there is still a very long way to go.