Former U.S. President Bill Clinton eyes an AIDS-free generation within reach.

Addressing hundreds of scientists, activists, and journalists in an international conference on AIDS in Melbourne, Australia, Clinton claims that providing people afflicted with HIV with early treatment can help eradicate the incident rate of this disease.

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The former president tells delegates that the world needs to "scale up" its treatment of HIV - particularly in women and children - to achieve the cherished goal of a generation free of AIDS.

Referring to data from the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), which funds HIV/AIDS clinics in Africa and Asia Pacific region, the former president asserts that great progress toward reducing HIV infection rates and AIDS-related deaths has been achieved. However, Clinton emphasizes that "the job is far from done".

"Ensuring people were on good treatment was vital to preventing HIV spread because antiretroviral drugs greatly reduced the risk of passing on the virus during unprotected sex," Clinton stated in the conference.

However, other ways of transmitting the disease still pose great threats. In many parts of the world, specifically in Africa and Eastern Europe, HIV-positive mothers have no access to treatment and passed the virus to their children, who also fail to receive care.

Clinton said paediatric treatment is still far from ideal in many countries but regards the elimination of mother-to-child transmission as one of the most achievable and exciting public health goals.

"We're getting better at reaching women during pregnancy, but once they deliver a healthy baby, many do not come back. As many as 50% of all new paediatric infections occur during the breastfeeding period. Keeping these women in care until the end of breastfeeding is perhaps the single most important thing we can do to achieve an Aids-free generation," the former president explained.

Apart from these programs, Clinton reminded the public that part of the effort includes combating the stigma and prejudice against those inflicted. Such narrow-mindedness from others has contributed to the hesitation and fear experienced by victims, which consequently discouraged them from getting tested, accessing treatment, and maintaining therapy.  

The AIDS 2014 Conference was held in the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event was attended by approximately 2,000 people. Other spectators watched the former president from a video feed located within the building.

TagsBill Clinton, AIDS, HIV, AIDS Conference 2014