An estimated 25,000 participants including twenty from Malawi will next week gather in Mexico City, for the 17th International Aids Conference under the theme “Universal Action Now”.

This is no ordinary conference as it brings together the movement of people responding to the epidemic to share lessons and together stake out the road ahead.

The 2008 theme emphasizes the need for continued urgency in the worldwide response to HIV and AIDS and for action on the part of all stakeholders.

It also serves as a rallying call, reminding us that it is only through individual and collective action that we will reach the goals of ensuring universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010 and eliminating HIV stigma and discrimination.

It is the most important gathering for the release and discussion of scientific, programmatic and policy development in the global response to HIV/AIDS.

The question however is whether Malawi is going to benefit from this International Conference, considering the many HIV and AIDS conferences and workshops that have already taken place in our country, region and world over, yet with little or no impact at all on the ground, particularly on the actual people living with HIV (PLWHIV).

Almost everyday, we hear of an Aids conference or a workshop somewhere, with ‘beautiful’ strategies and policies laid to make them worth conducting.

And again, the question is, how far have these policies and strategies gone, in assisting those living with the virus and in dealing with pertinent issues to do with the pandemic?

A comprehensive research conducted by Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) experts and presented at the SADC Summit in Maseru, Lesotho in 2006 discovered that despite Aids interventions that include numerous local and international gatherings aiming at combating the pandemic, little has been done on the ground to assist the infected and affected.

The research established that Aids gatherings over the years have not automatically translated into the reduction of the pandemic, evidenced by the ever escalating number of people getting infected by the deadly virus.

In the report, the experts observe that African countries continue to spend millions on gatherings that aim at reducing the number of affected people through various preventive measures and strategies but practically little is done on the ground.

“In fact, it has been discovered that the more preventive measures are put in place, the more Aids patients are increasing and the more the number of orphans in our countries is increasing.

However, if Aids policies, usually developed at high-level gatherings are properly implemented, Southern African countries can be guaranteed of a vast decrease in HIV infections,” reads part of the report.

The SADC findings are echoed by Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN), which starts by saying in the recent national budgets, a substantial amount of funds has been directed towards HIV and AIDS programs.

MHEN further says the amount has been increasing every year, implying that the need for preventive measures is also getting higher, thereby attracting more money.

“To some extent, I agree that through the HIV gatherings, there has been too much emphasis just on the HIV/AIDS program and in the process the other areas of health are overlooked, in the process neglecting the very infected that are supposed to benefit,” says MHEN’s National Coordinator Martha Kwataine.

Kwataine says this is a sad development because the whole idea behind more funding is to ensure that there is a significant change as regards to the issue of HIV/AIDS, but with a close relation to the other health issues affecting the country.

“This money that goes to the HIV/AIDS program would be initially for other developmental programs if the situation was getting any better. So as a country, we must devise a way of ensuring that the HIV programs are properly and timely implemented,” she says.

She further observes that much emphasis has been put on HIV/Aids, regardless of the other health sectors that require equal attention to curb the same epidemic.

“There is more to HIV than what we have on the table now. We need to check on the ground and ask ourselves, do we have enough personnel, are they qualified enough to assist HIV patients in the right manner and are they equipped with adequate resources?”

“So yes, we have to accept that somehow, there has been a lot of meeting and conferences and yet with not so much impact on the ground, although many times it also depends on who is involved in the implementation programs.

One sector that is entrusted on working fulltime with PLWHIV are the Community Based organizations (CBO’s) that have mushroomed in all districts in the country at almost the same rate the pandemic is also spreading.

But it also remains to be seen whether these CBO’s are turning around life for PLWHV since the common expectation is that at the end of the line, the infected people benefit and those likely to contract are prevented from it.

Evidence has shown that while a lot of people living with the virus continue getting moral, financial and psychological support from these CBO’s and other stakeholders, a lot more are suffering due to lack of or late access to Anti-Retro Viral therapy, lack of proper care and resources.

It is no wonder then, that we have seen donors withdrawing funds from some CBO’s in the country due to lack of transparency, a proof enough that at many times, PLWHIV have not rightly benefited from the so called ‘striking’ HIV policies and programs.

Chrissy Tomas is a 56-year-old Chiradzulu-based businesswoman who confirms having attended several conferences locally and abroad, but also admits not seeing as big impact as she expected or as the meetings anticipated.

“I have been to South Africa, Uganda, Botswana and United states, to testify of my status and on positive living because really I have lived a positive life since I tested HIV positive seven years ago.

“But, believe me or not, a lot of my colleagues living with the virus are suffering, because they do not have adequate resources such as good food, proper clothing and access to ARV’s, which are important things for people of our status,” she explains.

Tomas comes from a district whose HIV figures are one of the most alarming in the country and she emotionally claims that HIV gatherings largely benefit the organizers and senior officials other than PLWHIV.

“Do u know that when we traveled for a minor Aids workshop to Mangochi early this year, all the officials organizing the meeting were driving good cars, sponsored by the same HIV funds, and only us PLWHIV used local transport?

They didn’t even arrange for at least a private minibus for us. Some of them were passing us in the road on our way there and we humbly gave way to them and these are the people that will tell you they are fighting for our rights day in and day out,” claims Tomas while almost crying.

She is quick to point out that Aids meetings in her district are held almost every week, but to experience their impact takes ages. Some Aids meetings however, have proved fruitful and have achieved the intended purposes.

Recently National Aids Commission National Coordinator Bizwick Mwale justified the Aids gatherings as having a great impact on HIV programs locally, looking at what Malawi has achieved in the past years.

He however admitted that most times, implementation of what is agreed at such global conferences depends much on the individual and institutional efforts, in line with that they are expected to do.

So as the largest and most diverse international meeting devoted to a global health issue takes off in Mexico City this weekend, Malawi needs to seriously focus on areas that have the potential to make us an HIV free nation. It is never easy but achievable.