Evidence presented at the International AIDS Conference in Washington DC this year suggested that significant recent breakthroughs could well be changing the trajectory of the epidemic.

Over 23,000 people from across the world gathered at the conference, “Turning the Tide Together”, in the US capital in July.

Key factors which are having a big impact on the progress of the global spread of the disease include:

• Wider coverage of ARV treatment
  
• More commitment to eliminating new HIV infections among children and keeping mothers alive
  
• Effectiveness of HIV treatment in preventing further spread of the virusGreater community engagement Caritas’ “HAART for Children” Campaign bulletin has a special focus on the International AIDS Conference.

The Catholic HIV and AIDS Network, for which the Caritas Internationalis delegation in Geneva serves as secretariat launched a report at the conference on the Engagement of Catholic Church-inspired organisations in the Global Plan to Eliminate New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and to Keep their Mothers Healthy.

Msgr. Robert J. Vitillo, CI Special Advisor on HIV and AIDS spoke at various Conference and pre-Conference events. During this global meeting, Msgr. Vitillo also was engaged in an ecumenical initiative to advocate for increased research and development by pharmaceutical companies to formulate low-cost anti-retroviral medicines, adapted for use in low-income countries, for children living with HIV.

Read our bulletin which gives in depth analysis and news from the AIDS conference and beyond.