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Heidi Nass
August 8, 2008 What Will 2010's Conference Bring?  Subscribe to Heidi's Blog or learn about blog subscriptions
Day 7: Friday The conference formally ends this afternoon. Today is mostly oral summary reports of all the "tracks" (e.g. prevention, treatment, youth, etc.) and a short closing session. Tariq (my husband) and I left crazy-beautiful Mexico City this morning to spend a few days in a little village on the Pacific coast before heading back to the U.S. 
PHOTO (above): Mexico City Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución), second largest public plaza in the world behind Red Square in Moscow; Catedral Metropolitana in background 
PHOTO (above): Banderas Bay -- bed view I am realizing I was remiss in not including Web links to some things that might be of interest. Here are three that offer a lot from this week:
I don't know what will come of what took place at this conference. By the next one in 2010, will more than one-third of people who need treatment in the developing world be receiving it? Will more than 10 percent of people in these regions have access to an HIV test? Will the United States have a leader who finally demands a national AIDS strategy, calls for evidence-based prevention instead of the devastating abstinence-only approach, and brings family planning -- an essential component of any successful healthcare strategy -- to international and domestic AIDS funding? I am sometimes pessimistic about the impact of meetings. It is, after all, people sitting around talking and, to quote that old protest march expression, what we need is "less talk, more walk." At the same time, I appreciate there is no way to discern how an event like this affects the attitude or work of any one person who attended. For example, I have found it invigorating to be amidst my comrades, people living openly with HIV/AIDS, from all over the world. It is easy to feel alone in this struggle. My fellow activists and I are pushing back against a daunting tide of stigma and shame, sickness and death, disregard and disrespect. I am reminded here, though, that strength really is in numbers and everything is more possible when we stand up -- and speak out -- together. To contact Heidi, click here. |
BLOG: Dispatches From the International AIDS Conference in Mexico
 Heidi M. Nass Heidi M. Nass is an attorney turned HIV treatment advocate, educator and outreach specialist. She has written and presented extensively on treatment topics and HIV-positive women's issues, drawing from her vast store of practical knowledge as well as her personal experience living with HIV. She has contributed articles and insights to the publications of AIDS Community Research Initiative of America, Test Positive Aware Network, GMHC and other organizations; and was a UNAIDS delegate at the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, Mexico. Nass was diagnosed with HIV in 1996, and is currently based in Madison, Wisconsin, at the University of Wisconsin's HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Care Program.
Subscribe to Heidi's Blog Aug. 8, 2008 - Day 7: What Will 2010's Conference Bring? Aug. 7, 2008 - Day 6: Mexico City's Beautiful Heart Aug. 6, 2008 - Day 5: Making HIV Trials Work for Women and Adolescent Girls Aug. 5, 2008 - Day 4: Reflections From the International Women's March Aug. 4, 2008 - Day 3: Conversations With a Cab Driver; An "Edgy" Conference Atmosphere Aug. 3, 2008 - Day 2: Badge Troubles, "Youth Power" Aug. 2, 2008 - Day 1: Greetings From Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico |
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