By Ousman JC Darboe
World AIDS Day on 1 December brings together people from around the world to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and demonstrate international solidarity in the face of the pandemic. The day is an opportunity for public and private partners to spread awareness about the status of the pandemic and encourage progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support.
Human rights are fundamental to addressing the HIV and AIDS epidemic. On the one hand human rights violations fuel the epidemic by increasing people’s vulnerability to infection. On the other, human rights violations often follow infection and people living with HIV and AIDS can be subjected to various forms of discrimination and ill-treatment, including harassment, arbitrary arrest and torture.
Discriminatory policies and practices can also result in people being denied access to the information, support and services necessary to make informed decisions and to reduce their vulnerability and risk of infection.
Everywhere in the world, HIV-positive people are still subject to serious forms of stigma and discrimination. They risk losing their jobs, being ostracized from their communities and being denied equal access to goods and services necessary to realize their human rights, and even the protection of the law. The vast majority of people living with HIV have inadequate access to care and treatment.
All people, including people living with HIV, have a right to the highest attainable standard of health. I believes that respecting, protecting and fulfilling the full range of human rights of all individuals is indispensable to reducing the rates of HIV infection, expanding access to care and treatment and mitigating the impact of the epidemic, including acts of discrimination and violence.
World leaders have made new promises—bold, tangible and realistic. Promises have been made to put 15 million people living with HIV on antiviral treatment. There is also the global plan of action for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The new global strategy -Zero Deaths, Zero new infections, Zero discrimination are all very important promises and commitments.
These promises now must be delivered in every country, every community and to every person in need. Fortunately, leaders are standing up to say that an AIDS-free generation is possible and that no child should be born with HIV and no mother should die of AIDS.
In the Gambia over 22,000 People Living with HIV and AIDS including children, I am significantly, justifiably and vehemently concerned, agonized and distressed based on the fact that Gambia still wallows over an HIV response Program without a single functional Viral Load Machine, un functioning CD4 machine at some health centers. The vast majority of people living with HIV have inadequate access to care and treatment.
President Jammeh claimed in January 2007 to have discovered a herbal cure for HIV/AIDS, and launched a program to treat people living with HIV/AIDS (PWLHA) for several months after which they are discharged from his program. The claim triggered widespread condemnation from the international community, with health experts concerned it would slow the already low uptake of anti-retrovirals, the only medically proven therapy for HIV infection.
The ingredients of the President’s herbal mixture have been kept secret. People who were originally on antiretroviral then switched to the President’s herbal treatment have since returned to ARVs.
The President’s treatment has improved the uptake of antiretroviral by reducing the social stigma of HIV-positive status and by making people realize traditional treatments do not always work.
Most serious concern is the breach of privacy and confidentiality by the President Yahya Jammeh who parade a child of 8years living with HIV and AIDS on state Television GRTS. This has cause lots of stigma and discrimination towards the child. We urge the president to stop the violation of human right and to respect the right to privacy and confidentiality of a child living with HIV and AIDS.
Ousman JC Darboe
Human Right/HIV and AIDS Activist