Rwanda Hosts World’s Largest AIDS Conference

The 20th ICASA convened in Kigali, Rwanda, was held to discuss how to best address the HIV epidemic in Africa. (UN Aids)

The International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) organized the world’s largest conference on AIDS in Kigali, Rwanda, from December 2 to December 7 with almost 10,000 attendees. Those in attendance included government officials, scientists, and representatives from the healthcare industry. The conference promoted the theme of “AIDS-free Africa―innovation, community, and political leadership,” emphasizing the importance of community-level efforts in combating the AIDS epidemic.

One of the conference’s goals is to promote dialogue on the AIDS issue in an effort to reduce the stigma around infection, which can lead to refusal to seek treatment and further transmission of the virus. 

“Good politics and governance have everything to do with health,” said Rwandan President Paul Kagame. “There is no substitute for building an inclusive and caring society.”

An estimated 220,000 people live with HIV in Rwanda, equating to a 2.5 percent prevalence rate. In some of Rwanda’s neighbouring countries, the rate can be as high as 20 percent. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa accounted for about one in 25 people globally infected with the HIV virus in 2018. 

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of WHO, expressed concern that the gains being made in the fight against the HIV epidemic were in danger of being lost due to a lack of commitment. Ghebreyesus reported that about 770,000 people worldwide died as a result of HIV infection and about 1.7 million were newly infected in the last year. The vast majority of those new cases were located in Africa, highlighting the disproportionate impact the epidemic has had on the continent. Ghebreyesus emphasized the importance of maintaining the political will to ensure access to healthcare resources and preventative measures to reduce the rate of infection. 

This particular iteration of the ICASA has focused on the role of communities in addressing the epidemic. As top-level funding for addressing the issue has declined, sub-national efforts have taken on an increased importance in combating HIV. This stance has been reaffirmed by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). 

“To people living with HIV, the question of resource mobilization is a question of life and death,” said UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima. “When the money from donors dries up, will there be enough money for people’s treatment?”