HIV Researchers and Activists Killed Onboard Malaysia Airlines Flight
By Update 7/20/14: News reports are now listing the number of researchers killed as 6. While still an important loss of knowledge in the world of AIDS and HIV research, it is not as extreme as originally reported.
Original Post: According to TIME Magazine the Malaysia Airlines flight 17 that was apparently shot down over Ukraine yesterday had on board approximately 100 researchers and activists headed for the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne. Many of them were from the Neatherlands (where the flight originated), including a former president of the International AIDS Society, Joep Lange. The deaths of these researchers, journalists, and activists is a real loss for the field of HIV research.
More links:
BBC News
NY Daily News
LA Times
The Guardian
Associated Press
This is really devastating, and my condolences go out to all those who lost family members in the crash, as well as to the loss of potentially life-saving research.
Could we get an update in the post here that the actual number of AIDS researchers on the flight was far lower than 100?
All of the articles I’ve read have put the number of AIDS researchers and activists at around 100. Do you have a source stating otherwise?
The BBC article now states “at least 6.”
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/07/20/20th-international-aids-conference-six-researchers-died-mh17/12911929/
That says attendees are remembering “The six delegates, who died Thursday”
It is hard, because it is such a tragedy for the 300 dead people no matter who they were, but at the same time, I think it is important to be accurate.