Under the theme Turning the Tide Together, more than 21,000 delegates from more than 195 countries have converged on Washington D.C. in the USA for the 19th International 2012 AIDS Conference where Malawi is also represented.

Coordinator for Safe Motherhood, Mrs. Dorothy Ngoma is among top officials representing Malawi at the conference.

The conference was officially opened on Sunday evening and this is the first International AIDS Conference to be held in the United States since1990.

The opening session featured voices from across the globe highlighting the challenges at hand and urging collective action toward lasting solutions.

Chairperson of the International AIDS Society, the main organizer of the conference Dr. Elly Katabira, a Ugandan, noted that the conference comes at a pivotal time after the United States of America has just lifted restrictions on the entry of people living with HIV into the US.

The conference has brought together various leaders from America and around the world including South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, former US President Bill Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Former US First Lady Laura Bush, Philanthropist Bill Gates, Humanitarian Elton John, Actress Whoopi Goldberg, and singer Wycliffe Jean.