The theme of accountability, with the slogan 'Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise', was chosen in consultation with civil society campaign groups to stress the critical need to meet current commitments to increase the global response to AIDS and bring universal access to treatment, care and prevention by 2010.
Curtis' article explores the theme in some detail, providing an international context for the concept.
The concept of accountability is a complex one. It is certainly au courant in the US, being used in one way or another in just about every political campaign we see these days. I'd like to see some exploration of the concept in terms of the current HIV epidemic in Texas.
Can we look for accountability from those who:
- argue against increased funding for HIV prevention, services, and treatment?
- continue to cite false information about the effectiveness of condoms, with the result that sexually active young people now distrust condoms to protect them against HIV?
- offer false hope to people living with HIV by promoting junk science and questionable products, turning them away from proven therapies and better health?
- block effective sex education in our public schools, depriving young people of scientifically correct information that they need to remain healthy, all because of wishful thinking that "just say no" is an actual prevention strategy?
- people who claim to be moral but who also have no charity in their attitudes toward people living with HIV, as if leaving them to suffer were the righteous thing to do?
Yes, I'd like to see some real accountability in our fight against HIV. Wouldn't you?
