Italy and HIV: Getting to zero ...

 

International AIDS Conference in Rome: Berlusconi's broken promises, the absence of the government

Rome, July 17, 2011. Even during the opening ceremony of the Sixth International Conference of the International AIDS Society, associations fighting against AIDS and people living with HIV protested for the lack of commitment of Italy to the national and global fight against AIDS.

The themes of the protest are those launched in the previous days by the Italian Civil Society Forum on HIV / AIDS with the open letter to Mr. Berlusconi, signed by 125 organizations from 40 countries of 5 continents, and with the Rome Declaration, signed in a few days already by more than one hundred Italian associations: the non- funding of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the institutional weaknesses of our country in the fight against HIV.

The protest was peaceful, given the complete absence of any possible interlocutor and the absence of any representative of the government. Only the President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano, who we would like to thank, wanted to send a message.

Protesters, from all over the world, have rolled out a banner: "Berlusconi liar: fund the Global Fund!" wearing shirts with the slogan, in English and Italian, "Italy keep the promise! Fund the Global Fund now!  AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria will not wait."

The Italian situation was illustrated on the stage by Philip Von Schloesser, Chair of the Community Advisory Group  of the International AIDS Society ( composed of associations fighting against AIDS and HIV-positive people). During his speech some slides were shown. The text of the slides is  below.

ITALY AND HIV: GETTING TO ZERO...

(Paraphrasing the title of the UNAIDS Strategic Plan 2011-2015 to combat HIV / AIDS, meaning the goal of zero new infections, zero AIDS-related deaths, zero discrimination. And not zero actions)

• The Italian government & the Global Fund: ZERO euro since 2009!
• Italian National AIDS Research Program: canceled!
• No Legislation to Protect Against homophobia!
• We need campaigns Against Stigma and discrimination for PLHIV!
• Budgetary Pressures are threatening good clinical practice: we need funds to treat
• people!
• Clinical want money for treatment!
• We need funding for testing and information campaigns!
• We estimate 75,000 people do not know their HIV status! Of these, 50,000 people should start therapy!
• We need scientifically based prevention interventions, specifically on higher risk
• Populations, and not based on ideology!
• The Vatican: so near, and yet so far ...

The Italian Civil Society Forum on HIV/AIDS

The Italian Civil Society Forum on HIV/AIDS is promoted by: ActionAid, ANLAIDS, Arcigay, Mario Mieli Homosexual Cultural Circle, Committee for Civil Rights of Prostitutes, National Coordination of Home Community, Gruppo Abele, LILA, Nadir, NPS Italy Onlus, Italian Observatory on global AIDS, Transsexual Identity Movement, Villa Maraini

Press Contact

• Valentina Avon ufficio stampa LILA +39 348 0183527
• Loredana Teodorescu Osservatorio Italiano sull’Azione Globale contro l’AIDS +39 392.7478601

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