AIDS gathering discusses disheartening surge in HIV, especially in countries with strict drug laws
Amsterdam — Celebrities from actress Charlize Theron and pop star Elton John to Britain’s Prince Harry will call for action on the second day of a world AIDS assembly in Amsterdam on Tuesday, as concerns grow over an HIV surge in some parts of the world. About 15,000 delegates — researchers, campaigners, activists and people living with the AIDS-causing virus — have gathered for a five-day war council amid dire warnings that complacency and a shortage of funds may yet cause AIDS to spiral out of control. While reviewing the latest science and policy developments, the 22nd International AIDS conference is also seeking to harness the star power of celebrity activists such as singer Conchita Wurst to bolster a battle that experts warn is losing ground in certain countries — largely those where strict laws cause drug users to share virus-laced needles. The 2014 Eurovision song winner, an Austrian drag queen who announced in April she was HIV-positive, used the opening ceremony on Monday...
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