Mohammed L. Hussain
Political Science Seminar
March, 20 2004
International HIV/AIDS Epidemic Human rights Crisis
OUTLINE
The Issue
HIV/AIDS has become the most devastating disease humankind has encountered. HIV/AIDS is the fourth leading killer worldwide. HIV/AIDS appear to disproportionably affect developing nations, over industrialized nations. Medical supervision in developing nations is poor. A rising number of young individuals have the disease unknowingly, and spreading the virus.
International health crises are a responsibility of global community. With improved technology the global divide that persisted is being weathered away, and there is improved contact with other nations. The international community must institute initiatives to ensure that the health crisis is addressed in developed nations.
The Players
UNAIDS is the main advocate for addressing global action on the of HIV/AIDS worldwide, under the management of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. It is cosponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), United nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund ( (UNFPA), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO), World Health Organization (WHO) and the world bank.
Protocols for the UN
The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights in June 1993, maintained that all human rights have certain requirements. They must be universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. It claims that states have a duty, transcending political, economic, or cultural systems to embrace universally recognized human rights and freedoms. The human rights resolve of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is based on state compliance and obligation. HIV/AIDS exhibits the indivisibility of human rights, it does not discriminate on the premise of socio-economic factors, and we do.
Key principles that are needed to facilities state compliance to the international community can be located in Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Region specific components are American Convention on Human Rights, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights also enshrine State obligations applicable to HIV/AIDS.
The application of specific human rights in regards to HIV/AIDS epidemic. The right to non-discrimination and equality before the law. International guarantees equal protection before the law and freedom from discrimination such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
The Rights of Women and children, discrimination is disproportional affecting women and children thereby making them more susceptible to HIV/AIDS. The right to Right to marry and found a family and protection of the family. The right to privacy, whereby individuals are protected by invasive HIV testing and social stigmas that are placed against them. The right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications. We have the right to have access to scientific improvements that would more readily address the HIV/AIDS Epidemic. The Right to liberty of Movement allows mobility within the state, quarantining HIV patients is a fallacy. The right to seek and Enjoy Asylum, Under the United Nations High commissioner for Refugees, guidelines were issued in March 1988, stating that special measures for HIV infection, It was ruled non germane for the screening of HIV in asylum cases. The right to liberty and security of the person, in article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights provides that “Everyone has the right to liberty and security of the person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedures as are prescribed by law”. There are no public health justifications for HIV quarantine, detention or isolation. The Right to education, the Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states in part that “Everyone has the right to education. … Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship …”
The Right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health inter alia, “the prevention, treatment and control of epidemic … diseases” and “the creation of conditions which would assure to all medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness”. States must do more to support appropriate HIV information, and education. Sates must have access to adequate drug therapy programs and treatments, and continuously developing improved public health policies to offset the epidemic. Blood transfusion becomes a serious concern; in china I has been discovered that poor blood bank processes have created an unknowing epidemic. States have to take strategic actions with disenfranchised or marginalized groups in society, in an attempt to ensure that they receive equal care as well.
Let us venture in the World AIDS campaign, Women and girls are particularly venerable to the impact of AIDS. About half of all people living with AIDS in the world are female. The rate of infection is growing fat 67% of newly infected individuals in developing nations are between the age of 15 – 24. Even more startling is that fact that Women and Girls comprise 67% of the 15-24 age groups.
Studies have shown that women are more susceptible to men at a rate of 2.5. In-sub-Sahara Africa girls and women are 6 times more likely to be infected with AIDS versus men. The eastern and southern parts of Africa have a similar trend. Also we are observing rate increases in Caribbean countries.
Borne out of the conference was the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, which seeks to unify local and global initiatives, and address shortfalls.
Work Cites
news.bbc.co.uk/…/diseases/ html/aids.stm
www.e-alliance.ch/ mjensen.jsp
Global AIDS: Myths and Facts
by Alexander Irwin, Joyce Millen and Dorothy Fallows
www.southendpress.org/ books/worldaids.shtml
General Assembly special session on HIV/AIDS http://www.un.org/ga/aids/coverage/
PUBMED- online Medical / health Resources