MH17 tragedy a blow to global fight against AIDS, says council
The global fight against HIV and AIDS was also dealt a blow when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed, with the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) describing the incident a "colossal loss" to the global HIV and AIDS movement.
At least six participants were among passengers in the ill-fated plane, on their way to attend the 20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014) in Melbourne, Australia, including notable Dutch AIDS researcher and former International AIDS Society (IAS) president, Professor Joep Lange.
"Not only was Professor Lange a brilliant scientist, he was an extraordinary humanitarian who fought tirelessly to improve access to lifesaving antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV in developing countries," said MAC president Datuk Dr Raj Karim.
"And so were the other victims of the tragedy whose collective voices, passion and dedication to the cause have fueled the global fight against HIV and AIDS.
"As we mourn this inconceivable loss of great minds of the HIV world, we dedicate all our efforts and progress that we have made in the national HIV response to their memory," she said in a statement.
Flight MH17, a Boeing 777, was enroute from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur carrying 298 passengers, when it was believed to have been hit by a surface-to-air-missile over conflict territory in eastern Ukraine on July 17. It was due to connect with another flight to Melbourne.
Those responsible for downing the jet have yet to be identified, with Russian and Ukrainian authorities blaming each other and pro-Russian separatists for the disaster.
Lange's office in Amsterdam confirmed he was among the passengers on the flight, and was to attend the bi-annual gathering for researchers, scientists, policy makers, health workers, activists, and others working in the field of HIV.
Some 14,000 participants from 200 countries around the world were due to take part in the conference, which begins tomorrow, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The conference is convened bi-annually by the IAS in collaboration with international and local partners.
“MAC and the Malaysian HIV civil society stand with the rest of Malaysia and the international community on this extremely sad occasion and offer our sincerest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in the crash,” said Raj. – July 19, 2014.
