Africa’s biggest Aids conference is underway in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The conference started on Sunday and is expected to end on the 4th of December
The International Conference on Aids and STI’s in Africa (Icasa) will draw close to 4000 experts and government officials from around the continent.
It comes amidst warnings that the continent is at risks of losing ground in its fight if the Aids programmes.
The officials say 108 million pieces were distributed in 2015 alone along with 5 million female condoms, the continent’s highest uptake.
National Coordinator STI prevention and Condom Distribution, Anna Machiya says:”Zimbabwe is one of the countries where condoms have really been accepted. We are one of the countries were we have almost managed to half the infections.”
The continent is expected to commit to intensifying the fight over the next five years.
Executive Director Unaids Michael Bartos says: “The trajectory of the epidemic has been broken smaller now than it was 10 years ago. This disease will still be an epidemic for generations and generations to come.”
Top of the Agenda, discussing goals for universal access to anti-retroviral Treatment, in light of new studies that prove every HIV positive person should be on treatment.
It will also tackle emerging fault lines concerning HIV and Aids.
The prospect of an HIV-free generation is still far off, but the conference hopes to provide keep every infected person alive.
