Battle AIDS, Mandela urges

BANGKOK, Thailand — Democracy icon Nelson Mandela called on governments, businesses and citizens Thursday to donate generously to the war on AIDS, saying "no amount is too small," as the United Nations blamed the epidemic for declining life expectancy in parts of Africa.

Mandela's fervent appeal at the 15th International AIDS Conference followed announcements by the European Union and Bill Gates' foundation of contributions totaling $102 million to a U.N.-sponsored global fund to fight the epidemic.

The former South African president, who survived tuberculosis in prison during his country's apartheid era, also called for increased efforts to control TB. The lung disease can be treated for as little as $10 per patient but still is the leading killer of people with the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS.

As the six-day conference wound down ahead of its closing ceremony Friday, protests continued against President Bush's funding policies and his emphasis on abstinence over condoms as a primary defense against HIV transmission.

"Bush is a jerk. Condoms work," about 20 youth protesters shouted as they briefly took over a U.S. government booth at the conference, distributing literature promoting condom use.

Much of Bush's foreign policy on AIDS is tied to abstinence programs. Critics say a vow of abstinence is difficult to maintain and, when broken, can lead to unprotected sex, raising the risk of HIV infection that could effectively be blocked by a condom.

Thursday was the last day of scientific presentations, with experts calling for urgent work on HIV-killing gels that could help protect women who can't rely on condoms. The gels, known as microbicides, and other prevention methods like female condoms have gained importance as it has become clear an AIDS vaccine is still a long way off.

The vaginal gels could be applied long before intercourse and without a partner's knowledge. Dr. Zeda Rosenberg urged that $1 billion be poured into research on such products over the next five years.

"The science is there. The technology is there, and most of all, the passion and dedication of those in the field is palpable," she said.

More than 38 million people are infected with HIV worldwide, about 25 million of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Some 3 million people died of AIDS last year, and only about 440,000 in the developing world are receiving treatment.