Clinton, Geldof to address AIDS conference

Former US president Bill Clinton and artist and activist Sir Bob Geldof will be among the speakers at the AIDS 2014 conference, which is being held in Australia for the first time.

More than 12,000 participants will attend the conference in Melbourne next month.

"Having such leaders in attendance shows that HIV and AIDS remains a global challenge, which needs strong political and scientific leadership," said local conference co-chairman Professor Sharon Lewin.

According to the most recent figures, there were an estimated 25,166 people living with a diagnosed HIV infection in Australia at the end of 2010.

The incidence of new HIV diagnoses has gradually increased in Australia in recent years. There was an 8.2 per cent rise from 2010 to 2011.

Very few AIDS-related deaths are recorded each year in Australia due to the wide availability of multiple lines of antiretroviral therapy.