Only 2,500 to 3,000 delegates were from the United States, as political controversy and travel cost combined to keep many away. They have missed the most important gathering in the history of the epidemic. It was more than just the first time the global AIDS community convened in Africa-or in any developing country. American scientists, in particular, had already complained for years that the biennial world conference is a political circus. But HIV isn't just a virus.
Some numbers are pertinent.
And in Botswana, it's a staggering 34 percent. History will judge us harshly if we fail to do so now, and right now. AIDS today in Africa is claiming more lives than the sum total of all wars, famines and floods, and the ravages of such deadly diseases as malaria. AIDS is clearly a disaster, effectively wiping out the development gains of the past decades and sabotaging the future. UN AIDS' Piot told the conference that it was time to stop thinking of AIDS as a scientific and health issue.