Search
  1. Home
  2. Global

Protests against high costs of AIDS conference

    JOHANNESBURG

    HIV/AIDS activists have protested against the high registration fee for the upcoming XV International AIDS Conference to be held in Bangkok next month.

    The registration fee, initially US $900 not including meals and accommodation, was increased to US $1,250 on 1 May. Activists said this had prevented thousands of key voices from registering and being heard at the conference.

    Karyn Kaplan of the Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group said she found it ironic that the theme of the conference was 'Access for All', because this was one of the most expensive AIDS conferences to date. Even though it was being held in a developing country, "the reality is that access is still very limited," she said.

    The Director of Thailand's AIDS Access Foundation, Nimit Tien-undom, told Agence France Presse that lower registration prices would mean more attendees, satisfying the conference's theme of providing access to all.

    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

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join