Breakthrough in fight against HIV and AIDS

AN international conference on the menace of HIV and AIDS ended in Dublin last night with a declaration of international co-operation to combat the disease.

The move followed two days of intense debate involving delegates from more than 50 European and central Asian countries and high-profile figures, including South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and rock star Bob Geldof, and was seen as a breakthrough in the worldwide struggle to contain HIV and AIDS.

The Dublin Declaration set specific targets on HIV/AIDS, and dates for achieving them, through a series of measures aimed at treatment and prevention.