Abstract Book Vol. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

XIV International AIDS Conference

Abstracts ThPeG8281-ThPeG8285 657

to the traditional set up. sensitisation in the community is growing up and the
acceptance of living together with the plwha's is quite high.
Recommendation: the state shall, strive to minimise the inequalities in status,
facilities and opportunities, the plwha's are entitled to all respects as human beings. anti-discrimanation laws need to be strengthened to reduce stigmatisation
and discrimination,otherwise people will not seek counselling, testing, treatment
and support if this means facing discrimination,lack of confidentiality and other
negative consequences
Presenting author: Sushil Kumar Singh Huidrom, Legal lines (hiv/aids) unit, c/o
Lifeline building, Moirangkhom makha sougaijam leirak, Imphal 795001, India,
Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: sushilhuidrom@rediffmail.
com
ThPeG8281 Shaping media to become pro-active partners in
HIV/AIDS prevention
J.R. Dela Cruz, D.L. Garcia, O.T. Monzon, C.L. Calical, E.M. Francisco,
S.B. Edris. AIDS Society of the Philippines, 6/F Rm. 607 DoFa Felisa Syjuco
Building, 1212 Remedios Street, Malate 1004, Manila, Philippines
Issues: Media tend to sensationalize AIDS stories often focusing on the more
scandalous aspects of the disease without shedding light on the complications of
the infection. Media have wrong perceptions about it and that only people with
questionable behavior are responsible in spreading the virus.
Description: Implementing the AIDS Media Awards project from 1999 to 2001,
an AIDS manual entitled 12 Steps in Understanding AIDS among Journalists was
developed. The manual was used as a workshop curriculum among media practitioners. In partnership with the Philippines Press Institute, a national association
of newspapers with nationwide membership a workshop was conducted to encourage media practitioners to write AIDS stories in a simulated newsroom with
hands on practice on reporting skills. It also seeks to popularize RA 8504 otherwise known as the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998. Highlight
of the activities were: (1) testimony of a Person living with HIV/AIDS, giving a
human side of the epidemic; (2) an exposure trip to the red light district to meet
people at risk of contracting the virus. Output of the activities was 3 news stories
from each participants. The top three Best News Features were chosen providing
recognition at the end of the workshop.
Lessons learned: Given the chance to understand the different issues covering
the AIDS pandemic, media can take the lead role in the AIDS prevention featuring stories with truth, respect and compassion. Media can hype problems on
HIV/AIDS forcibly and cleverly thus winning the fight against AIDS.
Recommendation: Efforts should be continued to involve media practitioners in:
(1) AIDS activities such as seminars, fora and international conferences tailored
to meet their varying needs and become pro-active partners in HIV/AIDS prevention; (2) target private communication companies to produce Public Service
Announcement conveying AIDS messages.
Presenting author: Josefina Dela Cruz, 6/F Rm. 607 Doha Felisa Syjuco Building, 1212 Remedios Street, Malate 1004, Manila, Philippines, Tel.: [phone],
Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8282 Lack of quality in treatments: Argentina's crisis or
worldwide challenge (one investigation on legals
procedures over quality control)
R. Viiuela. Asociacidn Redes Nueva Frontera, [email protected],
vinarl4 @hotmail.com, [email protected], Argentina
Issues: The impact of Argentina's crisis regarding the verification of the quality
of HIV medication is reviewed. It also questions the official stance of the national
government regarding the ARVs purchased by the Health Ministry and used without previous bioequivalence studies.
Description: An Aids Service Organization in Mendoza (Argentina), called Asociacion Redes Nueva Frontera, and another in Buenos Aires, called SPES, got
together a team formed by lawyers, doctors and counselors specialized in AIDS
for search the legal steps in procedures for authorize ARVs in Argentina. They
found the legal procedures were not respected by national authorities and there
is an extremely dangerous policy for people living with HIV/AIDS. Both organizations started a strategy for fight against this policy with legal actions in courts and
other measures.
Lessons learned: The study analizes and denounces the official argument and
the attitudes used in trying to justify authorization of pharmaceutical copies.
Such official approach is thoroughly discussed in the understanding that risks
of paramount proportions are being taken in the fight against the epidemic in this
country. On the other, the argument that justifies the purchase of copies instead
of brand names based solely on prices, fail to address the issue of quality and
effectiveness of the medications. Moreover, this attitude makes a clear division
between the developed and resourceful countries and the underdeveloped and
poor countries. The study was presented as a legal action against the Argentina's

government in two national courts.
Recommendations: A new attention over the issue of quality control in ARVs in
underveloped and poor countries is suggested. Also the stablishment of international criteria for quality control in the process for found low prices in medicins for
people living with HIV/AIDS around the world.
Presenting author: Roberto Vihuela, [email protected], vinarl4

@hotmail.com, [email protected], Argentina, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8283 Discordant couples rights in community cohort
studies
E.J. Tuou. Christian, PO.Box 434, Mwanza, Tanzania
Issues: In April 1998 the World Health Organization (WHO) in Oslo held and
International Consultation on Health Legislation, Ethics and HIV/AIDS. It advocated bringing down barriers between people who were infected and those not
infected and placing actual barriers (e.g. condoms), between individuals and the
virus. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights and UNAIDS and other
partners developed guidelines that emphasized that Human Rights and Public
Health share the common objective to promote and protect the rights and wellbeing of all individuals; and that the promotion and protection of Human Rights is
essential component in preventing transmission of HIV and reducing the impact
of HIV/AIDS. Current HIV/AIDS anonymous serosurveys have to resolve issues
of discordant couples.
Decription: From 1994 the Tanzania-Netherlands Support program on AIDS
Control (TANESA) has an open community cohort where serosurveys and demographic studies are conducted. By 2000 there were 94 discordant anonymous
couples. According to the issues described above, this raises ethical and policy
issues that will be worthwhile sharing experiences at the Barcelona AIDS conference.
Lessons learned: Experience from court judgements from India of a doctor employed in the hospital where donated blood subsequently lead to cancellation of
his marriage engagement, also experiences from Sweeden and Finland courts
will be included.
Recommendation: Discordant couples from anonymous studies should in addition have Voluntary Counseling and testing in order to promote placing of barriers
(condoms) between people who are infected and those who are not infeted.
Presenting author: Emmanuel Tuju, P.O.Box 434, Mwanza, Tanzania, Tel.: +255
028 2500372, Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8284I Aids crime and punishment: social and policy
issues
H. Worth. Centre for Research on Gender, University of Auckland, Auckland,
New Zealand
Issues: Over the past ten years, in the West, there has been a burgeoning of
criminal prosecutions of people living with HIV and AIDS. Social scientists and
cultural critics have largely ignored the social effects and policy implications of
this increase. This paper will explore some of the myriad social and policy issues
that intersect in the "HIV criminal" cases.
Descriptions: This paper arises from an ongoing project that examines the social
and policy issues and effects, and the inflection of blame and fear that surround
state actions on HIV positive persons who become entangled in criminal proceedings. around the criminalisation of people with HIV. In the paper I will examine the
widening social gap between positive and negative members of communities, the
relation of AIDS organizations to their communities and the state, the tension between support groups, public health officials and the criminal justice system, and
the effects of increasing criminalisation on the lives of HIV positive people.
Lessons learned: From the cases examined in a number of countries, I conclude
that there is often a failure to take into consideration the complexity of human social relationships that creates the conditions for the cases that come to the attention of the law. The cause of the acts indicted in these criminal cases is much less
likely wilful intent or recklessness than the poignant matrix of factors that make
HIV transmission likely
Recommendations: In this paper I will suggest some alternatives to existing
retribution and deterrence models, alternatives that enable individuals and communities to better grapple with the complex social and cultural context that slowly,
incrementally, but sometimes inexorably, leads to individual acts-often mutual-in
which HIV transmission occurs.
Presenting author: Heather Worth, Centre for Research on Gender, University
of Auckland, Pivate Bag 90219, Auckland, New Zealand, Tel.: [phone], Fax:
[phone], E-mail: h.worth @auckland.ac.nz
ThPeG8285 Assessing the impact of law and policy on human
rights and HIV prevention and care
R. J~rgens, R. Elliott, M.N. Mensah. Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network,
Mont rda, QC, Canada
Issues: Developing healthy public policy that promotes and protects health at
the level of individuals, communities and populations is best done (and is more
likely) if sound research is available supporting certain policy choices over oth
ers. Yet data on laws and policies as structural determinants of health is underdeveloped. What data is needed in order to inform law/policy-making so that it is
sound healthy public policy from the perspective of the impact on human rights
and public health, and how can that data be gathered?
Description: We (1) undertook a literature review (including qualitative and quantitative research) on the impact of different policies on HIV prevention and on access to HIV/AIDS care, treatment and support; (2) prepared a synthesis of the