5000 SCIENTISTS RE-AFFIRM THAT HIV IS THE CAUSE OF AIDS

More than 5000 scientists and medical doctors have signed a statement in this week's issue of Nature declaring that there is overwhelming evidence that the virus HIV causes AIDS, and that recognition of this evidence is essential if viable ways of combating the disease are to be developed.

The publication of what is being referred to as the 'Durban Declaration' comes a few days before the opening of the 13th international AIDS conference in South Africa. It is intended to answer critics who continue to claim that the relationship between HIV and AIDS is still an open question. This argument that has recently surfaced in top political circles in South Africa itself, currently one of the countries with the highest incidence of AIDS in the world.

Unrestricted public access to the text of the declaration, plus a full list of signatories, is available via the Nature homepage.

The Durban Declaration website, which was unveiled on Thursday 6 July, is at http://www.durbandeclaration.org.

CONTACT:
Peter Hale (AIDS Research Alliance)
tel at +1 310 358 2423,
e-mail phale@aidsresearch.org

Marc Kusinitz (Burson-Marsteller)
tel +1 202 530 4654,
e-mail marc_kusinitz@was.bm.com

Dr Simon Wain-Hobson (Pasteur Institute, Paris) tel +33 1 45 68 88 21,
e-mail simon@pasteur.fr

Professor Robin Weiss (University College, London) tel +44 207 679 9554, home (number supplied solely for the purposes of this declaration) + 44 208 346 8014,
e-mail r.weiss@ucl.ac.uk

(C) Nature press release.

Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza