BANGKOK - A six-day council on the world's Aids crisis has blown away much of the fog of the war against the pandemic, exposing priorities that until now have been ignored or smothered by the battle for money.

Experts at the International Aids Conference here said this means that, in the next phase of this conflict, warriors can at last focus on how to provide drug treatment to poor countries and root out prejudices and inequalities that promote HIV.

Funding, though, will remain a big problem.

Just two years ago, the United Nations agency UNAids estimated the needs of developing countries at $10,5 billion (about R63bn) for 2005 and $15bn (about R90bn) for 2007. Today, the estimate stands at $12bn (about R72bn) and $20bn (about R120bn) respectively.

But the cash is at last beginning to flow, thanks to new funding initiatives, and priorities are beginning to evolve accordingly.

"We fought very hard for the money and will continue to fight for more," said UNAids Executive Director Peter Piot. "But now let's fight equally hard for making the money work for people." - Sapa-AFP