AIDS bill to get delayed further as Law Ministry, NACO still to settle differences

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AIDS bill to get delayed further as Law Ministry, NACO still to settle

differences

Thursday, September 10, 2009 08:00 IST

ph , New Delhi

 

The HIV/AIDS Bill aimed at ending the discrimination to the HIV patients and

ensuring access to treatment, which has been pending since 2006, is still stuck

up with the Law Ministry with no signs of immediate clearance even as the NGOs

and public interest groups are mounting pressure to get it passed.

The Bill, drafted in August 2006, is still pending with the legislative

department of the Law Ministry and the tabling of the same in the Parliament is

likely to be delayed further as the ministry is still holding consultations with

the National AIDS Control Organisation over some crucial provisions, sources

said.

The draft bill, for which the process started way back in 2003, has been pending

with law ministry for nearly two years now and was expected to be tabled in the

coming Session.

Health ministry sources said though the law ministry suggested some sweeping

changes in the draft and returned the same to the NACO, it finally agreed to

have a relook at the changes following widespread protests from the public

interest groups. However, it is learnt, that the process of consultations would

take more time as the law ministry is not ready to accept all provisions in the

original draft whereas the NACO, like many public interest groups, does not want

to get it diluted.

The Bill, drafted by an NGO working in the health sector Lawyers Collective,

aims to prevent and control the spread of HIV/AIDS and also to protect the

rights of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. It seeks to address

discrimination in employment, education, healthcare, travel, residence,

accommodation, insurance, etc.

Some important provisions regarding access to treatment and risk reduction,

which form the core of the National AIDS Control Programme have been deleted by

the law ministry while sending it back. Provisions on discrimination,

confidentiality and special provisions for women and children have been diluted,

undermining legal protection for people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.

Apart from that, law ministry suggested mandatory testing, tracing and isolation

of people infected or at risk of HIV and AIDS, it is learnt.

Following this, the public interest groups had staged nation-wide protests and

the affected people themselves staged protests in front of the law ministry some

time back. The delegations also met the law minister in December last and got

assurance from him that all important provisions would be restored and

consultations will be held with NACO to clear the bill.

 

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