Forum raises new hope in Aids battle

THE world’s largest Aids conference has been told that microbicides to help women protect themselves from HIV might be available in several years — but the world is woefully unprepared to ensure widespread access to such treatments.

Promising tests for new HIV prevention approaches are nearly complete, yet financial and ethical obstacles could delay or even derail completion of critical trials.

More than 40 million people worldwide today are living with the virus that can lead to Aids. An estimated 25 million people have died of Aids since the first cases of HIV were reported 25 years ago.