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Bill and Melinda Gates call for empowering women to prevent HIV infection

Aarti Dhar

Scientists are exploring microbicides development as a potential HIV prevention method

TORONTO: Bill and Melinda Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world's largest non-governmental organisations working for prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, have called for empowering women to check the spread of the disease. "Prevention of the diseases should be in the hands of a woman and she should not need her partner's permission to save her life," the couple said at the inauguration of the XVI International AIDS Conference — "Time to Deliver" here on Sunday.

Mr. Gates said women often did not have the right over their sexuality, or the right to ensure that the partner used a condom that could protect her from highly infectious diseases such as the HIV/AIDS. Again, the decision to go in for circumcision that is believed to be a protection against the disease, does not lie with the woman. "This does not mean that we are excusing men from the responsibility of protecting his partner. We are just reducing it."

Ms. Gates said a vaccine could be the best option but until then researchers should re-double their efforts in developing oral prevention pills for women. "Here, the identification of viral microbicides could serve the purpose. So far 16 microbicides have been evaluated." Microbicides are substances that can substantially reduce transmission of one or more sexually transmitted diseases.

Receiving a standing ovation from about more than 20,000 participants, the couple said they donated $ 500 million for the Foundation Fund last week and U.S. President George Bush had pledged $ 15 billion over five years to the Fund.

The weeklong conference began amid protests from participants over the absence of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Mark A.Wainberg, co-chair of the conference and Director, McGill University AIDS Centre, said: "We disgree with the Prime Minister. Does he think AIDS is not serious enough issue for him to be present."

Michaelle Jean, Governor-General of Canada, said there was a need to globalise the efforts to fight AIDS, particularly fighting the stigma attached to it. Those in rich countries have more responsibility to do something to control the disease

UNAIDS executive director Peter Piot called for more research on AIDS-prevention drugs. He sought protection of human rights of those suffering.

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