The world's leading AIDS researcher died in MH17

Victims of a flight shot down in eastern Ukraine yesterday consisted of many scientists and social activists on their way to the International AIDS Conference in Australia, where former President Clinton will also speak.

"Please take all my thoughts and prayers to the family of ill-fated victims on flight MH17. Many passengers are on their way to attend the 2014 AIDS seminar in Melbourne," Michel Sidibe, executive director of United Nations Joint Program on HIV / AIDS UNAIDS, shared on Twitter.

Joep Lange, former President of the International Association for AIDS, is believed to have died in a plane crash

Joep Lange, a leading AIDS researcher, former President of the International AIDS Society (International AIDS Society), is said to be on a flight that US officials believe was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile. .

National AIDS Trust, a charity on AIDS, gave condolences to Joep Lange's death."There are reports that Joep Lange died in Malaysia's plane crash today, along with other scientists on their way to the conference on AIDS. Twitter.

Gregg Gonsalves, an AIDS activist, talks about Joep Lange: "Joep Lange is a leading AIDS researcher, a physician and a caring social activist."

The International Association for AIDS (IAS) confirmed in a statement: "Some of our colleagues and friends are on the MH17 flight. During this sad and sensitive moment, IAS will work side by side. International family and condolences to relatives of the victims who died in tragedy ".

The International AIDS Conference in Melbourne will begin on July 23. The event has about 12,000 attendees including former US President Bill Clinton. He is visiting Vietnam and will then go to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and is expected to have a speech at the conference in Australia.