Duke meets young people from across the world in HIV campaign
We have to put power into the hands of the younger generation. The Duke of Sussex at a question-and-answer session at the Aids conference.
THE DUKE of Sussex has met young people who hope to influence the fight against HIV.
Harry joined more than 15,000 scientists, activists, health providers, policy-makers and global leaders for Aids 2018, billed as the largest gathering on HIV and Aids in the world.
The event was at an international Aids conference in Amsterdam.
Key to the event will be the testimony of young people, including those from Harry’s charity Sentebale, who will be speaking to decision-makers and financial supporters about what is needed to help reverse the trend in HIV infections.
The duke joined a session at the conference where youth delegates from countries including India, Zimbabwe and the US spoke about how Aids has affected their lives.
He told delegates: “We have to put power into the hands of the younger generation.
“Because that’s where the solutions are going to come from, that’s where the passion and engagement is coming from as well.”
For the past few years, Harry has been a committed HIV/Aids campaigner, raising awareness about the disease and even being publicly tested for the virus a number of times – once with superstar singer Rihanna in Barbados in 2016.
Harry is continuing the work of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, who was the first member of the Royal Family to have contact with a person suffering from HIV/Aids when she sat on the sickbed of a man with Aids and held his hand.
Today Harry and Sir Elton John will share a platform at the conference as the celebrity launches the MenStar Coalition, a global Aids organisation.