The National AIDS Council expresses its satisfaction that the main public and private TV channels are extensively involved in this year’s Sidaction. It is nevertheless surprised that France 2 will be broadcasting on Friday 23 April a documentary on the origins of AIDS, the contents of which have repeatedly been criticized by the entire scientific community. The documentary suggests that the HIV/AIDS epidemic was caused by a polio vaccine used in the Congo in 1958. It is based on doubtful assumptions that have since been disproved by research, with findings published by first-rate scientific journals.
Also, this three-day event should not give scope to the promotion of non-evaluated therapies such as Canal Plus is contemplating, even if promotion is handled by renowned personalities.
The Council deeply regrets that such programmes are to be televised : they are detrimental to the work and commitment of hundreds of researchers and doctors who have served the cause of knowledge and the fight against the disease for over twenty years. Broadcasting such programmes is all the more untimely as they are likely to generate mistaken beliefs within the population and blur the prevention and solidarity messages disseminated during the event.
