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Summary: In his latest Viewpoint, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights discusses the grave health crisis that the HIV/ AIDS epidemic has triggered in some European countries. He also argues that there is a serious human rights dimension to the pandemic, as carriers often become victims of discrimination in the areas of medical assistance, education, and labour market opportunities.
[01/12/06] Further action is needed against the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Europe. The international focus has been on the apocalyptic situation in some African and Asian countries, but the infection also spreads fast in certain European states, notably in Russia, Ukraine, Estonia and Moldova. The disease has generated a severe public health crisis as well as urgent human rights problems. UNAIDS, the agency coordinating the United Nations programs against the pandemic, has estimated that 940.000 persons are living with the infection in Russia and 410.000 in Ukraine. In western Europe, the highest rates have been recorded in Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland and Portugal. HIV/AIDS is changing the demographics in all affected countries. Given that the hardest hit section of society is the 15-30 age group, HIV/AIDS has a deep impact on birth rates, while for instance in Russia and Ukraine, the disease is likely to become an obstacle to economic growth. Many of those affected have got their human rights undermined. Ignorance about how the disease spreads has bred prejudices which, in turn, has stigmatised or marginalised those who carry the virus. "Why domestic violence is not only a woman’s issue” (24/11/06) “Human Rights Defenders must be able to criticize” (13/11/06) “Seeking asylum is a human right, not a crime” (30/10/06) "Social rights require adequate protection, also in Europe" (16/10/06) "It is high time to make reality of human rights" (03/10/06) See all viewpoints VIEWPOINTS REPRODUCTION Such discrimination must be combated and governments ought to seek cooperation with non-governmental support groups, not least with those that have been organised by HIV carriers themselves and their relatives. A large section of the infected population does not receive the necessary anti-retroviral treatment or psychological support. Also, carriers often become victims of discrimination in areas of medical assistance, education, as well as labour market opportunities. Particularly vulnerable are the growing number of children born to HIV positive mothers. Some of them may be infected themselves, some risk becoming orphans – they all have the right to special support. Prevention is certainly a key priority. Research aiming at an effective vaccine may not produce results for many years. However, governments which have invested in available methods have had encouraging results. First and most important of all, governments must openly recognise the full scale of the problem. Until recently, HIV/AIDS was not high on the government agenda, and in Russia and Ukraine, for instance, funds allocated to both prevention and treatment were meagre. The attitudes are now changing and in Russia the authorities have admitted that the actual infection rate might be four times as high as the official figures. Systematic information campaigns about safe sex combined with making condoms available have had positive impact where tried. Unfortunately, religious leaders have not everywhere been supportive in these important endeavours. Part of the strategy has to be directed towards the particular risk groups: • Drug injecting remains a key factor in the growth of the pandemic in both Russia and Ukraine, as well as in Estonia and Moldova. In Ukraine more than 45 per cent of the new infections reported this year related to injecting drug users and in Moldova as many as 84 per cent of the registered injecting drug users had contracted the virus. • Prostitution – often combined with drug abuse – is clearly dangerous. In Kiev, eight per cent of the females drawn into prostitution were found to have contracted HIV in 2005. • Prisoners also tend to have a higher infection rate. In Russia, HIV prevalence is estimated to be four times higher inside prisons than with average Russians. It is estimated that a majority of those who live with the virus today are unaware of this fact and may not therefore take care to avoid infecting others. More has to be done to promote blood testing and to give support to newly discovered infection carriers. Comprehensive prevention strategies can stop the disease from spreading further. There is a need for effective national action plans – programs which are underpinned by broad-based awareness-raising and strong educational components. It is absolutely essential that governments take strong action against illicit drug trade and the trafficking of human beings. This is a heavy agenda. Though Russia, Ukraine, Estonia and Moldova have a deeper HIV crisis, other European countries are affected as well. As the virus by its nature spreads across borders, the pandemic must be a concern for all citizens of the world, including us Europeans. Thomas Hammarberg Further information
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pdf: http://www.coe.int/t/commissioner/Viewpoints/Default_en.asp