Prevention or cure?

Actor Richard Gere, of the Heroes project, holds up a signed document with his fellow project co-chairs Peter Mukerjea (left) and Parmeshwar A Godrej, of Star TV in India. The campaign is intended to reduce stigma and promote prevention through public service announcements and messages in primetime shows. Photograph: Simon Hayter/Getty

The Guardian's health editor, Sarah Boseley, is posting from the 16th International Aids conference for News blog this week. Here is her second report - you can read the first here.

A major shift in priorities and emphasis is taking place in the fight against HIV and Aids.

A few years ago, campaigners, activists and doctors talked of little else but the need to get drug treatment to people with HIV in Africa and slow the heavy death toll. This week, at the 16th International Aids conference in Toronto, all the talk is of prevention.

It's not hard to see what has happened. After huge efforts, formidable campaigning and some extraordinary political victories, drug treatment is finally being rolled out to people in Africa. More than one million people in poor countries are now on the three-drug combinations that keep the virus at bay and allow them to lead normal lives.