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National Policy on HIV/AIDS soon
By Feizal Samath
The government is to introduce a National Policy on HIV/AIDS with the twin objectives of protecting victims of this dreaded disease as well as the public at large.

The first hint of this proposed legislation was revealed by a representative from the Legal Draftsman's Department at a recent workshop organized by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) to discuss the results of a landmark study on profiling people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

She said the proposed national policy would soon be published in the media and comments called for - an issue that was raised by many invitees to the discussion who said those working in the field of prevention and patient care should have also been consulted on such a draft.

The discussion itself was based on the results of the CPA study "Profile of the Stigma and Discrimination faced by People Living with HIV/AIDS", drawing a range of comments, views and suggestions from activists, journalists, donor agencies and religious dignitaries.

The study said that there are currently 614 people in the country living with HIV. However, as a result of the stigma, discrimination and fear associated with HIV/AIDS, many people have been reluctant to reveal their HIV/AIDS status. "Furthermore, there are probably countless others who are simply unaware that they have the disease. As a result, the actual number of people infected with HIV/AIDS is unknown," the report said.

It said that today, People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) have to deal with more than just the trauma of being infected by an immune-system destroying virus, they must also face the humiliation of social ostracism. "For example, many Sri Lankans, regardless of educational attainment, believe that merely touching a person infected by the HIV virus can lead to its contraction," the report added.

It urged the need to create awareness regarding HIV/AIDS, educating the public on its facts and dispelling the myths surrounding it. The CPA study commissioned by the Asia Pacific Leadership Forum (APLF) involved conducting 24 interviews - 18 PLWHA and 6 family members, in addition to several interviews with health staff treating PLWHA.

Many PLWHA, having faced stigma and discrimination as a result of their status, were unwilling to share information in fear of further repercussions.
The findings of the study show that many cases of discrimination have occurred in the health sector. However, despite this, many interviewees still had faith in the public health care system. They believed that the services in the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) and Ward 33 of the General Hospital were good, and that they were treated well. However, there was much consensus that awareness among health staff, in public and private hospitals, must be addressed. They brought up several instances where health staff - including doctors, nurses, attendants and minor staff - had discriminated against PLWHA and their families.

The study cited many cases where confidentiality regarding a patient's HIV status was not respected. Some lost their jobs as a result of their status being made public. Among the recommendations made in the study are:

More programmes aimed at raising awareness and educating the public on HIV/AIDS must be conducted. =Workplaces should have standards and practices that treat everyone equally, regardless of their sexual orientation or health status.

Greater media coverage on HIV/AIDS is essential in raising awareness levels.

Need for education of health workers on HIV/AIDS.

PLWHA should be more involved in raising awareness. They are the ones who know of the issues involved and have directly experienced stigma and discrimination.

Religious leaders should take an active role in promoting awareness about and working to reduce stigma and discrimination related to HIV/AIDS.

The Judiciary, Police, Bar Association and Accredited Advertising Agencies' Association should implement programmes to sensitise their members to HIV/AIDS issues.

Mandatory HIV testing as a pre-condition to accessing employment, educational opportunities, and life insurance policies should be made illegal and subject to prosecution in a court of law.

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