AS someone currently involved in AIDS research for the Hong Kong AIDS Trust Fund, I was appalled by Hong Kong's lack of representation at the recent Third Asia Pacific International Conference on AIDS in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
A majority of the 10 delegates attending this conference were from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the Society for AIDS Care and AIDS Concern.
This was in stark contrast to the more than 30 participants who attended the Ninth International Conference on AIDS in Yokohama last year.
The delegation to Japan included high-level government officials, headed by the Secretary of Health and Welfare, members of the AIDS Advisory Council, as well as NGOs.
Again, the Hong Kong media failed to send its own reporters to cover the event in Chiang Mai. The news that did come from international wire services was not specific and meaningful to Hong Kong. The size and nature of this year's contingent is a reflection of how little importance Hong Kong places on the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
It would seem that the Government and high-profile organisations like the Hong Kong AIDS Foundation (HKAF) are more interested in self-promotion than in learning from and sharing experiences with other neighbouring countries.
Mr Fred Tong presented a paper at Chiang Mai in which he stated that 'it was not until 1991, when the HKAF was founded, that the need to promote social acceptance for people with HIV/AIDS was fully recognised.' People still do not recognise that HIV/AIDS is not just about a virus.
