Announcements: Paris Global Summit on AIDS, December 1 -- Action Alert, More U.S. Effort Needed

The French government has invited heads of state of 42
countries to attend a Global Summit on AIDS, in Paris on
December 1. Five working groups (on safety of the blood
supply, vaccine and treatment research, care and social
support, prevention of transmission, and protecting
vulnerable populations) will hold preliminary meetings in
September and October.

Mervyn Silverman, M.D., president of the American Foundation
for AIDS Research (AmFAR), has said that "several results are
clearly attainable, especially in guaranteeing the safety of
the world's blood supply and significantly improving the
effectiveness of prevention and care efforts in the
developing world."

The U.S. has said that it will send Health and Human Services
Secretary Donna E. Shalala (instead of President Clinton);
meanwhile, U.S. officials have shown little interest in the
preparatory meetings. It is urgent that President Clinton and
other officials hear from citizens that the Paris AIDS Summit
demands their attention.

A background article by AIDS activist Eric Sawyer will be
published in Spanish in SIDAhora, a newsletter of the PWA
Coalition in New York; we could not confirm English
publication by press time. For more information about the
Summit, contact the Global AIDS Action Network (GAAN),
415/488-1453, or by fax at 415/488-1942.