BETWEEN today and Friday, the biennial International AIDS Conference will bring together approximately 25,000 researchers, experts, governments’ representatives, health care professionals, activists, business leaders and HIV/AIDS patients, with the theme, ‘Rights Here, Right Now’.
The thrust of the message being that promoting and protecting human rights is needed for a successful response to HIV.
The enormous costs of treating millions of HIV/AIDS patients is forcing health authorities, donors and decision-makers into a new phase of prevention – expected to be a contentious issue. The Vienna summit will impact significantly on AIDS planning policy over the next few years.
The US government alone has spent a sizeable part of $32.3 billion aimed at having a record number of AIDS patients on medications to extend life expectancy.
However, due to budget constraints, the present Obama administration is being forced to tame down increases in AIDS spending, and have another look at President George W. Bush’s President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
According to UNAIDS, 2.7 million people are known to have become HIV positive in 2008, over 5 million patients are receiving medications, while another 10 million need therapies but are not getting it.
UNAIDS Executive Director, Mr. Michel Sadie, in noting the stigma of AIDS undermines treatment programmes, said the human rights of men who have sex with men and other sexual minorities must be fully protected and respected if universal access to HIV services is to be achieved.
All people should have equal access HIV prevention, treatment and care services in their countries regardless of sexual orientation, he added.
UNAIDS notes that approximately 80 countries criminalize same sex behaviour; add to that the social stigma in many other nations, and we have a serious obstacle to HIV prevention. Men who have sex with men are afraid or embarrassed about disclosing their sexual activity, and are deterred from seeking medical help, or finding out what they need to know to reduce their risk.
The agency says that to achieve an effective global programme of prevention, it is crucial that anti-discrimination legislation is enforced, as well as promoting campaigns that address homophobia. (Medical News Today)