Article for the "American Foundation AIDS Research"

by the Transnational Radical Party (Elio Polizzotto)

Facing stigma and discrimination in the HIV/AIDS era

... "Humanity's ancient enemies are, after all, microbes. They did

not go away just because science invented drugs, antibiotic,

and vaccines (with the notable exception of smallpox). They

didn't disappear from the planet when Americans or Europeans

cleaned up their towns and cities in the postindustrial era.

And they certainly won't become extinct simply because human

beings choose to ignore their existence."...

(L.Garret - "The Coming Plague" )

Aids is a global pandemic, and people living with HIV/PWA are victims

of stigmatization and discrimination all around the world. Stigma and discrimination are enemies of PWA and HIV+ people as well as of the

public health. Experience in responding to the HIVAIDS crisis has

taught a vital lesson. First, stigma and discrimination have tragic

effects on the HIVAIDS pandemic, causing human suffering and also undermining public health efforts to prevent further HIV spread.

For these reasons, preventing discrimination against HIV+/AIDS

people, for the first time, has been made an essential part of the

public health's strategy, in order to prevent and control a global epidemic. The HIVAIDS pandemic has also taught another fundamental

lesson about health; it is now clear that vulnerability to becoming infected by HIV can derive directly from stigma and discrimination

and largely from violations of human rights and dignity, which are

present in any society.

Between 1993 and 1995, according to IGLHRC, 20 cases of systematic

HIV related human rights violations were reported from Colombia,

Russia, Hungary, Belgium, Venezuela, Burma, Thailand, Cuba, United

States, Croatia, Brazil and Mexico (1). One of the latest reports

from China that stressed as first-year students matriculating at Shanghai universities were required to undergo physical check-up on the first

day of school. Those who tested positive for HIV were not permitted

to enroll(2). But what about all the other violations which are not reported? And who is responsible for those?.

Abuses are, most of the time, perpetuated by governmental and non-governmental agents, in contrast with international accepted health standards, human rights treaties, and often, with local laws. For

these reasons it is important that Governments all around the world

take measures to avoid social stigmatization and discrimination

against those affected by HIV/AIDS, and in the same time, to enforce

and support national and international mechanisms that are concerned

with HIV/AIDS-related human rights and ethics.

Discrimination and stigmatization are counter-productive measures,

to prevent and control HIV/AIDS, just as anti-discrimination

measures are a relevant component of an effective public health

strategy. As the World Health Assembly has recognized(3), there is

no public health rationale for any measures that limit the rights

of the individuals.

In preventing HIV transmission, informed and responsible behavior

can make a real difference. This explains the role and the

responsibility of groups and individuals, and more in general of

organs of society to promote a social environment which supports, solidarity and tolerance in order to prevent the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Unfortunately, the reality is another, and discrimination and stigmatization as well as the HIV epidemic are continuing to grow.

Today, a person who contracts HIV virus tends to be younger and

poorer than his or her counterpart, a decade ago. And, what is

really tragic about the continuing growth of HIV infection is that

the disease could be preventable or at least governable. In fact,

numerous studies have confirmed that target prevention reduce risk behaviors and rates of new infections among homosexuals, heterosexuals, communities of color, youth, and women. A special attention must be

given to women and children. They are especially vulnerable to the

risk of HIV infection and to the economic and social impact of AIDS

as a result of their disadvantageous legal, social, and economic

status(4).

Furthermore, other global issues are intertwining with the progress of

HIV/AIDS: as the spread of drugs, the continuing subordinate status of women, the reemerging, all around the world, of tuberculoses and other dread diseases, malnutrition and famine ..

The global response to the AIDS pandemic has still remained inadequate.

In too many countries, the AIDS crisis is still merely considered as a

health problem and not also as a human development, a social or a political institutional issue. And the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS remain in danger.

Despite evidence that protecting rights is an essential part of

HIV/AIDS prevention and care; threats to human rights continue to

be necessary, available treatments continue to remain, largely a

privilege of the industrialized world and of a few world's elite.

Wealthy countries are still showing a preference to work

independently or on bilateral basis with "developing countries".

Therefore, more than 50 countries, including the United States,

Russian, Japan, China, have adopted restrictions on travel and

immigration of people living with HIV/AIDS.

In spite of all this generalized irrationality, precautions and

global polices which have proven to yield results must be enforced,

starting by working towards risk reduction: for example, a clean

needle in exchange of a dirty one, other substances or therapies

instead of street heroin,"safe sex" rather than "abstinence",

rights and solidarity instead of stigma and discriminations.

We must recognize that national AIDS programs are still, without

doubt, too narrowly conceived as Government programs rather than

as a combining of the efforts of the executive bodies, NGOs, non-

profit organizations and the private sector.

The challenge faced by the international community requires instead complementary, coordinated, sustainable and international cooperation:

the fact of the matter is that the virus is not discriminating

any race, "category" or any country; it is only ignoring boundaries.

And the mostly effective instrument to struggle the HIV/AIDS pandemic

is to establish a common policy between States, organizations and people

in order to combat discrimination, prejudice and stigma, and to ensure

the full enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights by people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

Michele Elio Polizzotto

AIDS Coordinator of the

Transnational Radical Party

Non-Governmental-Organization

recognized by the United Nations

in Category 1

Footnotes:

(1) Emergency Response Network of the I GLHRC Action Alert

(2) Human Right Forum issue of Spring 1996 (published by Human Right

in China, NYC)

(3) resolution WH45.35

(4) report submitted to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women

at 33rd session (E/CN.6/1989/6Add.1).