Around 100 AIDS experts die in Ukraine plane crash
By Josh Haggis
Around 100 AIDS experts are reported to have died on the plane that crashed over the Ukraine yesterday (July 17).
A Malaysia Airlines flight travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was carrying 298 passengers when it crashed in Eastern Ukraine yesterday after allegedly being shot down, killing everyone on board.
The Sydney Morning Herald has since reported that around 100 of the passengers on the flight were AIDS experts and activists – including former International AIDS Society president Joep Lange – who were travelling to a major AIDS conference in Melbourne, Australia.
Michael Kessler of the International AIDS Society (IAS) said in a statement to the press:
“A number of colleagues and friends en route to attend the 20th International AIDS Conference taking place in Melbourne, Australia, were on board the Malaysia Airlines MH17 flight that has crashed over Ukraine. At this incredibly sad and sensitive time the IAS stands with our international family and sends condolences to the loved ones of those who have been lost to this tragedy.”
Friends and colleagues of Lange have since taken to Twitter to express their grief, including medical researcher Dr. Seema Yasmin. See her tweets below.
What a HUGE loss to the world. Just learned that dear friend, amazing father to 5 girls and veteran AIDS researcher Joep Lange was on #MH17
— Dr. Seema Yasmin (@DoctorYasmin) July 17, 2014
How do we measure how much a person has done for humanity? People like Joep change the course of epidemics. — Dr. Seema Yasmin (@DoctorYasmin) July 17, 2014