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By Sola Ogundipe
GOVERNMENTS and leaders around the world have been called upon to institute effective laws and policies to protect and promote the rights of people living with HIV and its co-infections.
The appeal launched by the World Commission on HIV and the Law – an independent commission convened by UNDP on behalf of UNAIDS – stresses that success and sustainability of the global response to HIV will depend largely on legislation and the Commission acts to catalyze progress on laws and policies that affect people living with HIV.
According to a new groundbreaking report released by the Commission, discrimination against vulnerable and marginalized communities is severely hampering the global effort to combat the HIV epidemic.
The new report, published before the World AIDS Conference in Amste rdam, reveals that even more people than ever before having access to antiretroviral treatment, governments need to take Urgent measures to ensure responses based on HIV rights and co-infections (TB and viral hepatitis).
The Commission noted that positive changes have been made to the transformation of laws and policies, as well as scientific advances that further accelerate progress against the HIV / AIDS epidemic. AIDS.
However, the future of HIV / AIDS will be determined by legal environments that promote universal health and human dignity
On February 3, 2015, the federal government of Nigeria enacted the anti-corruption bill. HIV / AIDS 2014, as part of the government's efforts to end AIDS around the world. countries by 2030.
Although HIV / AIDS-related stigma and discrimination is a crime in many African countries, implementation of the law remains a problem
. HIV / AIDS experiencing stigma, humiliation, discrimination and denial continues to circumnavigate.
The essence of the HIV / AIDS Act reflects a nation's commitment to ending all forms of stigma and discrimination targeted at people living with HIV. During a conference call with reporters, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Director of Health and HIV at UNDP, said: "Progress in the fight against the AIDS epidemic shows that when we work together we can save lives and empower those who are at risk. "However, the new report is also a warning that if governments do not take seriously the fight against bad laws, the global AIDS response will continue to be undermined and we will fail those who remain," said Dhaliwal. repressive laws and policies are changing, "said Michael Kirby, former High Court Judge of Australia. "In recent years, political trends have had a negative impact on the global response to HIV: the civic space has shrunk, migrants do not have access to health care and funding has fall."
repressive measures hamper the HIV response as marginalized groups see key health services cut off. The fight against HIV, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis will only be won if civil society is empowered and able to provide services, mobilize for justice and hold governments accountable
. access to health services has been restricted for millions of migrants – exactly the opposite of what is needed, "said Dr Shereen El Feki, Vice-President of the Commission. "Condemning those who have fled their homes for security robs them of their human rights and increases their vulnerability to HIV and its co-infections."
Refugees and asylum seekers are often exposed to HIV and overlapping infections such as tuberculosis, but severe laws limit access to health care. The laws must change so that everyone, wherever he comes, receives quality health services.
But the world is still a long way from funding the response to HIV, TB and viral hepatitis: in 2015 – the same year countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and their commitment to leave no one behind – donor funding for AIDS has dropped by 13%. Unfortunately, the slight increase in donor funding for HIV in 2017 is at best an anomaly.
But UNDP and its partners in the United Nations and civil society have already helped 89 countries revise their laws to protect the health and rights of people. ] Todate's laws on the criminalization of HIV have been repealed in at least 10 countries – Ghana, Greece, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, Mongolia, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and at least two US states
. inequalities to strengthen the rights of women and girls disproportionately affected by HIV: Tunisia recently pbaded a law to end violence against women in public and private life, and Jordan and Lebanon strengthened the law on marital rape. health care is prioritized by focusing on emerging diseases that target people vulnerable to HIV
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