Bishop among Indians at global 'AIDS 2008' gathering

The five–day 'AIDS 2008' conference began on August 3 in Mexico. Over 21 000 representatives of governmental organizations and scientific institutions is expected to participate the conference which aims to scale up towards universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010.

Among Indian delegates attending the conference, Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore, will travel representing the Church and its continual support in eradicating the disease.

Archbishop Moras represents the Health Commission of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, the agency that coordinates Church’s ADIS care work. The Church runs some 6,000 small and big health care institutions across India.

In 2006 UNAIDS estimated that there were 5.6 million people living with HIV in India, which indicated that there were more people with HIV in India than in any other country in the world. However, NACO disputed this estimate, and claimed that the actual figure was lower.

Church has been playing a very crucial role in educating people about AIDS and its prevention.

About the role of Church/Religion in the disease, Archbishop Moras says, "Religion plays a major role in our lives and the religious leaders have to play bigger roles in educating our people through religious discourses and through religious activities, the ways and means to control this disease and take care of the people compassionately."

Meanwhile, World Vision, a Christian relief and development organisation with HIV and AIDS programs in more than 60 countries says the International AIDS conference will be just another expensive "talking shop" unless it seeks remedies for the solution of the problem.

The participants should come away making firm commitments to end mother–to–child transmission of the disease, increase access to pediatric treatment and extend care for affected children, it said in a statement.

“Almost 1,200 children a day under the age of 15 are newly infected with HIV – around 90 percent of those from mother–to–child transmission, which is preventable."

“As a global community we should be ashamed that nine out of every 10 HIV positive children get the virus from their mothers during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding, a particular tragedy because mother–child transmission can be safely stopped," the agency said.

Ban Ki–Moon, the UN General Secretary and former President of the USA Bill Clinton are also expected to attend the conference.

The number of AIDS infected people around the world is approximately 33 million, the UN reports.