World mourns top Aids researchers killed in MH17 crash

International Aids Society President Françoise Barre-Sinoussi addresses the media on July 19, 2014 on the death of delegates who were headed to the Aids Conference in Melbourne, Australia. PHOTO | AFP

The crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, killing all 298 people on board, has thrown the HIV and Aids research fraternity into mourning.

Some of the passengers on board, who included HIV experts, were to take a connecting flight to a conference in Melbourne, Australia.

International Aids Society (IAS) President Françoise Barré-Sinoussi on Saturday confirmed six deaths, among them a World Health Organisation media officer and a medicine professor-cum-Aids researcher.

Those confirmed to have died are former IAS President Joep Lange, who was travelling with his partner Jacqueline van Tongeren, Pim de Kuijer of Stop Aids Now, Lucie van Mens and Maria Adriana de Schutter of Aids Action Europe and Glenn Thomas of WHO.

The deaths are a huge loss to participants of the 2014 International Aids Conference organised by IAS, tht is scheduled to open today in Melbourne.

Flights to Australia were rescheduled, with the official explanation from authorities being that there was overbooking.

None of the officials made reference to the tragedy when offering the explanation.

The experts were expected to share their knowledge on HIV and Aids research at the 20th International Aids Conference.

The Boeing 777 aircraft crashed into a wheat field in eastern Ukraine after being hit by what is reported to have been a surface-to-air missile. Militants in the area are fighting the Ukranian army for control of the region.

Organisers of the conference said on Saturday it will open with participants observing a minute of silence in honour of the departed.

The event will go on as planned, organisers said, in honour of the departed researchers.

IAS executive director Own Ryan said: “Our colleagues were travelling because of their dedication to bringing an end to Aids. We will honour their commitment and keep them in our hearts as we begin our programme on Sunday.”

Many events at the conference may have to be rescheduled since some of the delegates have called organisers saying they could get two to three days late due to the flight rescheduling.

Top researchers have paid glowing tribute to Prof Lange -- a prominent and popular researcher and a former President of the IAS.
IAS, in a statement, said they have “truly lost a giant”.

Mr Lange was a professor of medicine at the University of Amsterdam and had been involved in HIV research since the virus emerged in the 1980s.

Delegates who have already arrived at the conference in Australia said they were in “total shock”.

“The extent of our loss is hard to comprehend or express,” said Mr Barre-Sinoussi.

“We grieve alongside all of those throughout the world who have lost friends and family in this senseless tragedy,” he added in a statement on Saturday.