From July 22 to 27 the World AIDS Conference took place in Washington. More than 22.000 delegates from all over the world, including doctors, scientists, politicians, economists and many top professionals involved in the fight against AIDS, gathered in the capital of the United States to take stock of the progress of the epidemic and mark a turning point in the path towards the elimination of AIDS.

The DREAM program participated to this important event with a delegation from Italy and Malawi. In a panel on the costs and benefits of the antiretroviral therapy the results of a study done in Malawi, entitled "The impact of antiretroviral therapy on the social, economic and working conditions of patients with HIV/AIDS in Malawi" were presented, showing the immediate economic returns resulting from ART therapy, thanks to the newfound productivity of patients under treatment. This figure represents an important contribution to the discussion about the sustainability of interventions aimed at ensuring universal access to treatment.

The DREAM program has also participated in the "Inter-faith" pre-conference and the "International Catholic AIDS Pre-conference" where Pacem Kawonga, activist of the DREAM program in Malawi and coordinator of one of the 10 active centers in the country, could bring her testimony as a woman and HIV-positive mother who, thanks to the cure of AIDS has started a new life, raised two healthy children, and now supports hundreds of women in her condition.

On the occasion of the World Conference, the U.S. government invited to the White House the key faith-based organizations working with AIDS patients, to share problems and expectations of this group of organizations, whose role is decisive in the global fight against the epidemic. The Community of Sant’Egidio has participated in this meeting, bringing the voice of more than 180.000 patients treated within the DREAM program.

In those days in Washington, an atmosphere of great optimism about the future of AIDS could be breathed. Indeed, as the title of the conference, it seams possible to achieve the aim of "turning the tide together". The DREAM program fits with determination in this new course, which gives hope to the millions of sufferers in Africa. We believe it strongly: together we can achieve a breakthrough and reach the end of AIDS.
 

Pacem M. K. – Malawi	The "Global Village"
At the "White House"