Prince Harry to attend AIDS conference

The Duke of Sussex will spend two days in the Netherlands and will attend an international AIDS conference.

The Duke of Sussex is due to begin a two-day visit to the Netherlands where he will attend an international AIDS conference and support the continued fight against the HIV virus.

Harry will join young advocates from his charity Sentebale and use the opportunity provided by the Aids 2018 summit in Amsterdam to discuss issues faced by teenagers who have the disease.

On Tuesday, Harry and Sir Elton John will launch the MenStar Coalition, a global Aids organisation aimed at targeting HIV infections in men.

For the past few years, Harry has been a committed HIV/Aids campaigner, raising awareness about the disease and even being publicly tested for the virus a number of times - once with superstar singer Rihanna in Barbados in 2016.

Harry's charity Sentebale focuses on supporting HIV positive young people in the African nations of Lesotho and Botswana.

The organisation's Let Youth Lead programme gives young people a public voice on the issue of AIDS and how if affects their lives, and during Monday some of the advocates will take part in a discussion with the duke.

The programme hopes the testimony of the young people will be able to influence policymakers and after the debate they will hold a private meeting with those shaping the response of nations to the threat of HIV.

The International Aids Conference is billed as the largest gathering on HIV and AIDS in the world, bringing together more than 15,000 scientists, activists, health providers, policy makers and global leaders.

The conference is seen as an opportunity to strengthen policies and programmes that ensure an evidence-based response to the epidemic.


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Published 23 July 2018 2:38pm
Source: AAP


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