World AIDS Day 2009; HIV and Human Rights

Submitted by kyeswa johnson m (johni) about 10 months ago

World AIDS Day (WAD) is an international event recognized and commemorated annually all over the world. Every year, all countries come together on 1st December to collectively pay their last respect to those who have fallen victims in the course of the year and to map out the way forward for those still struggling with the disease, give moral support to the affected families and the orphans, and above all to continue to send the message of prevention to the world's population.

The UNAIDS 2008 report estimates almost 35 million people are living with HIV/AIDS across the world and out of them more than 26 million live on the African continent; 13 millions have already died from AIDS (2.2 millions in 2003 alone) and 12 million children have lost at least one parent to AIDS.

There is no cure in sight as yet. The only option is for every one to keep safe from infections and knowing one’s HIV/AIDS status through HIV voluntary testing and counseling.

Young people are most prone to HIV/AIDS and this becomes worse when they are not aware of their status. Even so, they engage in sexual practices every day. We need to set safe platforms for young people that can help them explore their HIV status and find solutions for their problems.

Homosexuality is another key factor to increased new infections mostly among young people. For instance, in Uganda homosexuality is illegal and though we continue advocating for human rights protection during world AIDS Day, homosexuals in Uganda will not be exempted by the new bill that advocates the death penalty.

Although this year’s WAD theme is Universal Access and Human Rights, human rights abuses continue to encroach those living with HIV/AIDS.

In this fight against the pandemic, we must focus on people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) by advocating for their continued protection from abuse. There is a lot of stigmat among PLHIV, many people look at them as moving dead bodies yet they are human beings who deserve the same protection with those without HIV/AIDS.

While promoting positive prevention campaigns, people living with HIV and AIDS must be protected and respected otherwise re-infection or seroconversion will take control. And Universal Access cannot be achieved if the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS are not protected.

The same thing goes for young people who are not the problem with HIV/AIDS but a solution. In many cases young people are blamed for the continued spread of HIV/AIDS due to their bad behavior yet this is not always accurate. We must involve young people in all programmes that target them from planning and designing to implementing, monitoring and evaluating.

I'm a young person but feel I'm being denied my rights when I'm not involved in programmes that target me and my peers.

Young people are more vulnerable because they lack knowledge about HIV yet they continue to engage in high-risk behavior with limited access to HIV related services. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has interrupted young people’s education and thus affected their acquisition of skills which will has adverse long-term implications for their future.

Meaningful participation is essential to young people's development as it helps young people - especially adolescent girls who have historically been denied a voice in decisions about their own lives - to learn important communication, negotiation and practical skills, to assume civic responsibility, to acquire and improve competencies and to develop aspirations for the future.

The right of free expression and the effective circulation of information and ideas, notably through the mass media, are among the key hallmarks of a democratic, participatory society that we need to focus on.

In a nutshell, as we commemorate this year’s World AIDS Day, we should think especially about protecting the human rights of PLHIV and young people.

Keywords: Human rights plhiv universal access World AIDS Day World AIDS Day 2009

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