“Women of the world, face up to stop the HIV/AIDS pandemic with the force of a lioness protecting her family”. This was an extremely powerful statement by Graça Machel of South Africa, speaking at the plenary session on Thursday at the International AIDS Conference.

Machel spoke with a lot of hope that we can still prepare and empower our children and future generations. We can, she said, build norms and values in our children that will make them strong enough to adopt attitudes and behaviours that will protect them. We should use our might to push religious groups in using their strength and power to tear away the stigma of HIV/AIDS.

Machel emphasized that “With good care and treatment millions of people living with HIV could live a healthy, productive and fulfilling lives for many more years.”

Speaking about poverty, ill health, poor education and poor social and political infrastructures contribution to both spread of the infection and its impact in countries, Machel stressed that responses must be similarly broad from individuals, to governments, civil society, including NGOs, religious groups and the private sector.

Machel addressed the pharmaceutical companies about their assurance that the prices of drugs will come down. The companies also have to find a way to allow the use of patents in order to produce low cost generics, she said.

“How many times will we come to these conferences and watch people make promises which go home and forget? Where are the financial resources promised by rich nations?”

Machel spoke of moving since the Durban conference from questioning causes to strategies for implementation. “Let us speak of achievements and accomplishments at the next AIDS conference”. Instead of assurances let it speak of triumphs and successes in the number of lives saved through treatment. Let this be our vision.

AIDS 2002 Conference News produced by Health & Development Networks/Key Correspondent Team