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Africa's HIV/AIDS crisis took centre stage at the group summit of the world's eight most industrialised countries (G-8) in 2003, but is likely to take a back seat at the upcoming meeting on 8 June in Georgia, US.
This will be the group's second gathering since US President Bush's pledge to give US $15 billion to tackle global HIV/AIDS and press other G-8 countries to contribute.
At the meeting this year, observers expect HIV/AIDS to rank far behind terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and the rebuilding of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Jose da Cruz, assistant professor of political science at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia, was quoted by the Florida Times as saying: "AIDS should be the number one priority of the industrialised world. It should be at the top of the G-8 agenda, but it won't. When G-8 nations get together, they make a lot of promises, but when they go back [home], these promises disappear."
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
