Scientists in the conference hall in Rio de Janeiro blinked in surprise when, in the middle of a speech by a senior US government official, a map of Africa appeared on the screen. The map showed the countries receiving US funding for the fight against AIDS highlighted in colour.
However, it turned out that none of those countries were situated in the correct location. On the map, Nigeria is shown in the Sahara, with no access to the Atlantic Ocean. Ivory Coast, which in reality – just like Nigeria – is a country in West Africa, is shown in the south-east. Mozambique, meanwhile, is depicted on the map in the Horn of Africa, whereas it is actually situated much further south.
On a positive note, according to a UNAIDS report published to mark the conference, the US still accounts for almost three-quarters of global public funding for the prevention and treatment of the HIV virus, which causes AIDS.
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