In spite of the events in Afghanistan, the conference continued as planned and participants devoted their attention to the agenda. The plenary sessions focused on the role of socio-economic factors in HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention. Sex work, drug use and migration were given specific attention as areas especially affected by socio-economic factors. The ultimate goal of such focus is to place HIV/AIDS on mainstream development agendas, rather than in isolation as a medical problem.

"We have always put HIV/AIDS as a separate issue and not one of development," said Indrani Gupta from the Institute of Economic Growth, India. "This is counterproductive. We have to mainstream HIV and realize that it is affecting a lot of people. This will go a long way in addressing problems of vulnerability as well as reducing discrimination."

Sharon Burrow, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions supported the rights of sex workers around the world to organize.

"Our ambition is to organize the most vulnerable workers," she said. "Sex workers, those who work with blood and blood products and those who work in a community setting with those addicted to drugs or sex workers must be allowed to organize."

Sex workers are among those most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection. While prevention campaigns can give them access to condoms and knowledge about protecting themselves, sex workers remain susceptible to infection.

"Condom distribution programs by themselves are of little use without addressing the factors which disempower women in many sexual encounters," said Burrow. "Programs and measures to empower women and increase their economic independence are probably just as important an HIV intervention as a national AIDS awareness campaign."

Speaking along the same lines, Gupta stressed the need to see poverty alleviation as an important part of the fight against AIDS.

"Poverty is the main reason for vulnerability, especially in women," she said. "People argue that poverty alleviation takes a very long time. It does, but so does behavioral change. Both are required and both should get an equal footing. Behavioral change should be seen as a component of development."

Governments have to tackle development issues along with promoting HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns in order to lower prevalence in countries. Stabilizing infection levels at a high rate is not enough, said Gupta.

Secretary Manuel Dayrit from the Department of Health in the Philippines outlined three basic lessons for responding to HIV/AIDS on a national level.

"Firstly key individuals in positions of power and influence must decide to become champions for mobilizing a wider response to HIV/AIDS," he said. "Secondly the response should start with building institutional capacities and mandates to undertake sustained activities over a long period of time. And thirdly public support for the national response should be carefully built on sharing reliable information, knowledge and understanding about the epidemic and its actual course."

Political will and commitment is essential to a comprehensive and effective national response he said. This response must include improvement in basic elements such as health care, provision of basic human rights, especially for HIV-positive people and an informed body of decision-makers, both in the government and in the nongovernmental sector.

Over 30 ministers from the region have come to the congress for the Asia Pacific Ministerial Meeting on HIV/AIDS and Development, which will run from October 9 to 10. The majority of them are Health Ministers, but most delegations also have representatives and bureaucrats from other ministries.

"We are hoping for a strong declaration recognizing the epidemic in the region," said Rob Moodie, ICAAP Co-chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation. "Unless there is courageous political decision making going on, you can't have effective national policies."

The outcome of the meeting will be presented at the final plenary of ICAAP on Wednesday. Ministers will address issues including the relationship of HIV/AIDS and poverty, measures for strengthening partnerships between countries fighting the pandemic, the impact of HIV/AIDS on regional economies and the accessibility of therapy drugs.

"Most of the time we do not attach enough attention to the economic and social impacts of HIV/AIDS because physical and medical issues take precedence," said Usa Duongsaa of Chaing Mai University, Thailand. "But these factors are very real and we have to face up to them."

Delegates are clearly aware of these social impacts as HIV-positive people discuss the lack of access to drugs and the ostracization they face at home. Thai sex workers performed a street play in the central hall depicting the economic inequalities and discrimination in their society--inequalities that are evident in the majority of the region. There is hope that the Ministerial Meeting will create political will to confront these factors as well as the medical problems associated with HIV/AIDS.