EU plans HIV/AIDS conference

The European Commission on Tuesday said that it would host an international conference on 28 September in Brussels to discuss the commission's new strategy for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in the context of poverty reduction. It said that this round table would provide for a wider forum to allow for more consultation on the EU's initiative to address communicable diseases. "The strategy marks a major improvement in the EU's approach to health and poverty in developing countries," the EU said. A key part of this new strategy would be the increased effort in making AIDS drugs available to the developing world. The EU said that the UN agencies UNAIDS and WHO would co-host the conference, which will include 130 government representatives from around the world as well as EU member states and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry.