"The epidemic's magnitude is staggering and the world simply cannot afford to move forward against AIDS," said Stephen Lewis, the Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. "Preventing disease works best when governments commit both their leadership and their resources, first in Africa, but also globally."

The theme of the conference is "The Community Commits Itself." Conference participants include members of the highest political levels, numerous technical and financial partners, civil society organizations, associations of people living with the disease and community groups. UNAIDS, which is sponsoring the conference, believes that such groups need to back commitments they make to stop AIDS with action on the ground and with greater funding.

According to Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, "there is broad agreement that scaling up AIDS efforts from the local to the national level is essential to link community, district, national and regional decision-making to overcome rural urban divides, and to involve all social and economic sectors in the response to AIDS."

The Burkina Faso Human Development Report, which was launched at the conference by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), says that about half a million people in Burkina Faso are infected with the disease. This is about 10 percent of the entire adult population. Furthermore women between the ages of 15 to 24 are the highest risk group, the report said.

While the government of Burkina Faso has set up a National Council for AIDS Control headed by President Blaise Compaore the report noted that government efforts to stabilize the epidemic have not yet shown any positive results. The report called for a greater partnership at the national, regional and international levels in order to start making a difference.

Compaore spoke of the need for discussion and commitment by all players and decision makers in his opening address. In addition, he shed light on the devastating effects that HIV/AIDS brings upon the people of Burkina Faso. "We see entire families destroyed," said Compaore, "the framework that holds them together falling apart, their legendary solidarity fragmented by HIV/AIDS and numerous orphans joining the ranks of the 'street children' whose numbers have increased to an alarming degree."

Burkina Faso is among the lowest income countries in the world, with 45 percent of the population living under the poverty line. HIV/AIDS is not only a serious health problem in the country, but a major obstacle to development.

The 12th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Africa began in Ouagadougou on December 9. Discussions are expected to continue through December 13.