Africa: Activists at Aids Conference Protest 'Systemic Racism' Behind Visa Denials and Lack of Funding Driving New Deaths

31 July 2022
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Kerry Cullinan

'Another minute, another death! AIDS is not over!' chant protestors as controversy engulfs an international AIDS conference in Canada.

Activists took over the stage at the opening of the AIDS 2022 conference in Montreal, Canada, last week to protest against the refusal of visas to hundreds of delegates, primarily from Africa, and the inequality and lack of funding that is driving new HIV infections.

South African activist Vuyiseka Dubula, former leader of the Treatment Action Campaign, told the conference that activists needed to speak for those who were denied access to the conference.

"TB infections are increasing. Our governments do very little to address the opportunist infection cryptococcal meningitis, young women are used in clinical trials to test [HIV] products but, when these products are ready, they are not accessible," said Dubula, as the crowd chanted: "Another minute, another death! AIDS is not over!"

Adeeba Kamarulzaman, International AIDS Society (IAS) president and co-chair of AIDS 2022, said that she was "deeply upset" about the visa denials that were a result of "global inequality and systemic racism".

"IAS is re-evaluating to ensure that future conferences remain inclusive events. Those most affected must be part of the conversation," said Kamarulzaman.

The Canadian...

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