On July 17, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine and crashed, killing over 300 passengers and crew members — while halfway across the world, the global health and development community was preparing for the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia to continue fighting for a world free of the disease by 2030.
These two events, three days apart and thousands of miles away from each other, seem unrelated but from them bore a more inspired and renewed fight against HIV and AIDS that kills millions every year. At least six of the MH17 victims were delegates expected at the meeting that kicked off on Sunday, including former International AIDS Society chief Joep Lange.
For the current IAS President Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, their fate should be an inspiration for the rest of the community to do better and double up efforts to cure HIV and AIDS, not just physically, but also the emotional and social stigma that comes with it.
About the author
Lean Alfred Santos@DevexLeanAS
Lean Alfred Santos is a former Devex development reporter focusing on the development community in Asia-Pacific, including major players such as the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. He previously covered Philippine and international business and economic news, sports and politics.
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