The conference took place on the eve of The World AIDS Day, December 1 which was for the first time commemorated in 1988. This year its motto was Universal Access and Human Rights.

            For the first time editors-in-chief of national and regional editions, TV companies, and radio stations from 27 Russian regions, representatives of public organizations and expert community, medical practitioners, and health care administrators gathered together to discuss the issue and the role of mass media in overcoming HIV epidemic. Russia is the country where epidemic is rapidly spreading in spite of the measures taken. At present, over 500 000 people living with HIV are registered in the country. However, according to estimations of Russian and foreign experts the number of people living with HIV can amount to 1 million.

            The conference was initiated by the Journalists Union of Russia and The United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). As the conference chair, Secretary of the Journalists Union of Russia, Nadezhda Azhigihina stressed that the main goal of this event was to galvanize the work of mass media in the area of promotion of ideas of public health and HIV/AIDS prevention. 

Denis Broun, Regional Director of the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS, believes that in the society there exist many understatements, biases, misinterpretations concerning HIV infection. That is why mass media should be regarded as important partners in fighting this threat.

Representative of the United States Agency for International Development, Jonathan Kamin shared American experience in fighting AIDS. He pointed out that the number of HIV infected had been steadily declining in his country. It is happening largely because of the financial support of the US government to relevant programmes. Nevertheless, Americans realize that governmental efforts are not enough, stressed J. Kamin. Consolidated efforts of the whole society are needed.               

            In his turn, Head of the Federal AIDS Centre, Academician Vadim Pokrovskiy, noted with regret that “unlike many countries where situation is improving, the situation in Russia is worsening”. According to data quoted by him, there are 500 000 people living with HIV only officially registered, and the number of new infections has been recently increasing by 10% annually.   

            Now that new modern medication is available, it became possible to increase life expectancy of the HIV positive and make it close to average, continued Vadim. Pokrovskiy. However, each medication is very expensive, and one needs to take 3-4 medications at once. Academician thinks that major governmental funding has to be spent on HIV prevention, not HIV treatment. Besides this, there should be in place a clear governmental programme of response measures to HIV infection, a continually working government commission, effectively functioning lines of communication with regions, accentuated Vadim Pokrovskiy. One, certainly, should not underestimate the role of mass media, he concluded.

As a result of the conference a Memorandum on covering HIV/AIDS in mass media was adopted. The Memorandum is based on the Code of Ethics of the Russian Journalist and on international recommendations on covering HIV/AIDS.