Scientific progress has to be given political backing in order to help the global fight against HIV/AIDS, said Dr. Helene Gayle, director of HIV, TB and Reproductive Health at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Her comments, made at the 3rd International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment in Rio de Janeiro, follow up a pledge made by leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized powers to achieve universal access to HIV treatment by 2010.

The G8 leaders, who recently made the HIV treatment access pledge in Gleneagles, Scotland, also promised to relieve debt for 18 countries, 14 in Africa. However, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis questioned the outcome of the G8 summit.

While the G8's debt cancellation agreement is a start, said Lewis, Africa still has the "insurmountable burden" of over $200 billion in debt hindering the HIV/AIDS and poverty fight. "First I would argue that the G8 summit was not a breakthrough; it was in fact a disappointment. I would argue that we got caught up in the music, and the spectacle, and the spin and the celebrities, and we applauded before applause were justified," Lewis told the conference.

More than 5,000 HIV experts and researchers from around the world are attending the conference, which focuses on scientific studies on HIV/AIDS treatments, vaccines and basic science. The conference ends Wednesday.

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