Kaisernetwork.org (Washington, DC)
1 December 2008
(Page 3 of 5)
According to Reuters, fear of stigma and an embarrassment about talking about sex are fueling the spread of the virus among migrant workers. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday said increased efforts are needed to "strengthen prevention work in key areas and key populations." The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the International Labour Organization have produced a film, titled "Hometown Fellows," about HIV that aims to educate migrant workers about the disease, Reuters reports (Reuters, 11/30).
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Developed Nations Receive Poor Grades on Report Card Assessing Response to HIV/AIDS
[Dec 01, 2008]
Although wealthy countries might be better equipped to provide antiretroviral treatment to HIV-positive people than some developing nations, wealthy nations often are less effective at collecting the data necessary to understand and curb HIV/AIDS, according to a study released last week by AIDS Accountability International, the Financial Times reports. In this first attempt to assess countries' compliance with commitments they made at the United Nations in 2001 and 2006 to ramp up their response to HIV/AIDS, the score card highlights that many high-income nations -- including most European countries and the U.S. -- are "worse at monitoring and/or reporting on the fundamentals of their epidemics and their responses" than their low-income counterparts. In addition, AAI found that although developed countries insisted on monitoring and reporting when they provided funding for antiretroviral treatment in the developing world, they failed to meet the same standards at home (Jack, Financial Times, 11/25).
The U.S., along with countries such as North Korea and Saudi Arabia, received an "E" on the score card, which is one step above the lowest grade possible, Bloomberg reports. AAI said the main reason for the score was the lack of information provided to UNAIDS. According to Bloomberg, the absence of data from the U.S. and other developed countries -- including Denmark, Ireland and Italy -- makes it difficult to determine which governments are having success against the disease and why others are not. Per Strand, AAI's scientific director, said, "Reporting may be poor for a number of reasons, and there may be, if I may say, a certain amount of arrogance from rich countries." Strand added, "It is clear that in some cases the reporting does not reflect the response." Officials from HHS did not immediately return calls for comment, Bloomberg reports.
According to Bloomberg, countries including Mexico and Tajikistan received "A" grades from AAI, indicating they reported on measures such as financial resources allocated to HIV prevention and treatment; engagement of nongovernmental organizations; human rights protections for people affected by HIV/AIDS; and coordination of efforts (Lauerman, Bloomberg, 11/25).
According to the Times, AAI said that the current data made available are inadequate to assess international progress, and it called for auditing to ensure that data provided by national governments on their HIV/AIDS policies are independently validated. AAI also said that the existing 25 indicators recommended by the United Nations are "necessary but insufficient" because they fail to monitor issues such as the quality of implementation of policy. This creates "major obstacles to holding governments accountable," according to the report (Financial Times, 11/25).
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Indonesia's AIDS Commission Rejects Bill To Implant Microchips in Some HIV-Positive People
[Dec 01, 2008]
Indonesia's National AIDS Commission last week said a provision that would require some people living with HIV/AIDS to be implanted with microchips in the province of Papua is unworkable and a violation of human rights, Reuters India reports. "We reject this bylaw because it is against human rights and technically cannot be done," Nafsiah Mboi, secretary of the commission, said, adding, "How can someone know if a person is having sex or jumping and dancing?" (Reuters India, 11/27).
The provision would require "sexually aggressive" people living with HIV/AIDS to be implanted with microchips. According to John Manangsang, a lawmaker who supports the bill, authorities would be able to identify, track and punish people living with HIV/AIDS in the country's province of Papua who intentionally spread the virus with a $5,000 fine or up to six months in jail. Manangsang said, "Aggressive means actively seeking sexual intercourse." Under the provision, a committee would be created to establish which HIV-positive people should be implanted with microchips and to monitor their behavior. The technical and practical details of the bill are still being decided by lawmakers. The provincial parliament of Papua has given its full support to the measure, which will be enacted next month if it receives the expected majority vote (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/25). Manangsang on Thursday said that the bylaw initially would only establish a Papua HIV/AIDS center to determine whether the microchip idea is feasible. Mboi said that the central government cannot stop the bylaw but that it is attempting to negotiate with lawmakers to drop articles that violate human rights. She added that said Papua's governor could refuse to sign the bylaw (Reuters India, 11/27).
In related news, the Indonesian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Papua recently said that it will consider accepting the provision if lawmakers supporting it agree to undergo HIV tests and be similarly implanted with microchips if they are found to be HIV-positive. "If it is the best solution for Papua, we will accept it on one condition," Enita Rouw, a representative for the network, said, adding, "We will agree to be implanted with the chips once all of the council members agree to undergo HIV/AIDS tests as demanded by the bylaw." Rouw added that all authorities in Papua should be tested for HIV and that the results should be published to ensure that any human rights violations associated with the provision are dealt out equally (Flassy/Suherdjoko, Jakarta Post, 11/28).
AFP/Google.com on Saturday examined the spread of HIV/AIDS in Papua.
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South Africa Could Have Prevented 365,000 AIDS-Related Deaths if HIV Treatment Programs Had Been Implemented Sooner, Study Says
[Dec 01, 2008]
The South African government could have prevented about 365,000 AIDS-related deaths earlier this decade by providing antiretroviral drugs to HIV-positive people and by implementing a mother-to-child HIV prevention program, according to a study to be published in the Dec. 1 issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, the New York Times reports (Dugger, New York Times, 11/26).
For the study, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health compared the HIV/AIDS policies of the South African government from 1999 through 2008 with those of neighboring Botswana and Namibia. According to AFP/Google.com, Botswana and Namibia began providing HIV treatment to people in need before South Africa (AFP/Google.com, 11/26). The researchers quantified the "human cost" of South Africa's "inaction" on HIV/AIDS by comparing the number of people who began receiving antiretrovirals between 2000 and 2005 with the estimated number of people who would have received drugs if a "workable" program had been implemented, according to the Times.
The study found that 23% of South Africans in need of HIV treatment were receiving it as of 2005 but that half of those in need could have been reached. Botswana was providing antiretrovirals to 85% of people in need by 2005, while Namibia was providing treatment to 71%, the study noted. The study concluded that as a result of a lack of treatment, 330,000 South African adults and 35,000 infants died prematurely of AIDS-related causes, resulting in the loss of a combined 3.8 million life years (New York Times, 11/26).
An abstract of the study is available online.
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