Laws to be reviewed to protect AIDS patients

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Laws to be reviewed to protect AIDS patients

SACHCHIDANAND JHA: TIMES NEWS NETWORK [TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2002

2:03:49 AM]

PATNA: In its National Aids Prevention and Control Policy announced

recently, the Centre admits the need for creating a proper socio-

economic environment for prevention of HIV/Aids.

The government has also announced that criminal laws would be

reviewed and reformed to ensure that they are consistent with

international human rights obligations and are not misused in the

case of Aids patients. It would strengthen anti-discrimination and

other proactive laws that protect vulnerable groups of Aids patients.

The policy recognises the need for decentralising the HIV/AIDS

control programme to the field level with delegation of adequate

financial and administrative responsibilities. It says the national

response should not wait for the HIV/Aids cases to soar up.

Since the AIDS prevalence rate varies from state to state, the state

governments would henceforth be required to devise their own strategy

and action programme for tackling the disease keeping the national

objective in mind. Aids has thus become the first major disease for

the control of which the Union government has announced a national

policy, providing for establishment of voluntary counselling and

testing centres at various levels as part of the diagnostic

facilities. Since in four per cent cases the infection occurs through

blood transfusion, the Centre has announced a national blood policy

encompassing all aspects of the operation of blood banks, including

the voluntary blood donation programme and appropriate use of blood

and blood products.

The number of Aids infected adults in the country was estimated to be

3.8 million in 2000. In 85 per cent cases, patients get the infection

through intercourse both heterosexual and homosexual.

The policy envisages effective containment of the infection levels of

HIV/Aids in the general population in order to achieve the zero level

of new infections by 2007.

It says in view of the behavioural nature of the disease and its

strong socio-economic implications, HIV/Aids cases have to be treated

as a developmental issue impinging on various economic and social

sectors of government and non-government activities. Eighty nine per

cent of the reported cases fall in the sexually active and

economically productive age group of 18-49 years.

The policy provides for an AIDS education programme to be known

as " Universities Talk Aids " in schools and universities through

curricular and extra-curricular approach. It says that HIV positive

persons should be guaranteed the same rights regarding education and

jobs as given to other members of society and that one's HIV status

should be kept confidential and should not in any way affect one's

right to employment and position at the work place.

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