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Slow Progress in the Fight to Reduce New HIV Infections

Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the US National Institutes of Health, said finding an HIV cure is challenging but not impossible.

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“As people with HIV live longer‚ AIDS is a topic that has drifted from the headlines”. “We are investing with our voices, our capacity, and our dollars to help achieve an AIDS-free generation in which no one is left behind, in the USA and around the world.

We can not lose a sense of urgency‚” said Prince Harry during the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban on Thursday.

He was speaking at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC), where thousands of delegates from across the globe have gathered to discuss ways to tackle the virus.

Sir Elton and Harry will be joined by a panel of young advocates who will describe what is, and what is not, working for the HIV response among young people, and what must change to address the needs of youth with HIV.

“People now live long, happy lives with HIV, when the virus is effectively managed with anti-retrovirals”.

One of the main problems is that people do not know they are HIV positive because of the stigma around testing.

“Today in London, Prince Harry gave that stigma a knock on the head by showing the world how easy and simple it is to take an HIV test. Bravo Prince Harry!”

HIV/AIDS is the main cause of death among 10- to 19-year-olds in Africa, UNAIDS says. Of this investment, $40 million is focused on keeping girls in secondary school, which dramatically reduces their vulnerability to HIV infection, and almost half of these education-focused resources are directed to Malawi. But imagine what would happen… if children were given the tools to protect their health‚ to speak out against stigma‚ and support their friends and family.

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“It is impossible to say exactly how far we are, but one thing we can say is that over the last seven years we have made important strides in the direction of getting a vaccine”, he said, “but getting an HIV vaccine will probably be one of the most important and hard scientific challenges in all of HIV research”.

Dr. Anthony Fauci