Coalition Calls on Governments To Address Human Rights Abuses Ahead of International AIDS Conference

In advance of the XVII International AIDS Conference next month in Mexico City, a coalition of human rights organizations on Tuesday called on governments to address rights abuses that are contributing to the spread of HIV, United Press International reports. "Ahead of the XVII International AIDS Conference, governments are still violating the rights of people living with or at high risk of HIV infection," Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, said, adding, "Governments have done little to fulfill their frequent promises to end HIV-related rights abuses. But until they act to end such abuses, even the best-planned policies to treat HIV and stop the spread of AIDS will fail" (United Press International, 7/16).

According to the coalition of about 400 organizations, police in several countries use laws against commercial sex work to extort sexual favors from sex workers. In addition, the coalition said that police officers confiscate condoms from HIV/AIDS workers and charge them with sex work or sodomy. Although injection drug users account for one-third of all new HIV cases outside of Africa, several countries still ban needle-exchange programs, according to the groups. Vivanco said that governments should end such practices or they will see an increasing number of HIV/AIDS cases (Associated Press, 7/15).

The coalition also said that Mexico has to do more to address HIV/AIDS -related human rights issues. "Mexico has good laws on HIV/AIDS," Anuar Luna Cadena of the Mexican Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS said, adding, "But government institutions don't adequately monitor abuses faced by people living with HIV or make sure they get the treatment and/or protection they're legally entitled to" (United Press International, 7/16). The coalition called on organizers of the conference to make human rights a central theme of the gathering (HRW release, 7/15).

Kaisernetwork.org is the official webcaster of the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. Click here to sign up for your Daily Update email during the conference. More information about the Kaiser Family Foundation's partnership with the International AIDS Society is available online.