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Comment: Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More than Ever at 2006 IAC
By R. Lovelace, U.S.A.
First, let me begin by congratulating the Law and Health Initiative (LAHI) of the Open Society Institute (OSI) for bringing focus to the critical issues related to human rights issues related to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This is and will remain critical work and is very worthy of continued support. I wish you well in Toronto and hope your work is productive. I am, however profoundly struck by the omission of a critical rights-based element and that is the plight of public care providers. No one, either a person going to work or seeking treatment should fall prey to infectious disease. Yet, it is clear in many countries this is a distinct possibility even though we know how to prevent such infections. We can talk all we want about setting targets for universal access to treatment by 2010 and then we will move the goal post yet again when we fail. I do not know anyone who really believes these goals are attainable particularly given what, if any, health care infrastructure in place in the countries most afflicted. There will be a lot of talk in Toronto about health care workers and a fair amount will undoubtedly be focused on community-based solutions. To fight HIV/AIDS and OIs will require every resource in our arsenal, but to substitute donor supported community-based solutions thereby letting national governments off the hook is unsustainable and irresponsible . There are no substitutes for proper health care, every resource is needed. For national governments to fail to provide even the most basic protections for public health care providers is unacceptable. For donors to support community-based programs that cannot do the same is unacceptable. Health care providers whether public or private are a front line of defense and they must be protected. I sincerely wish that one of the things that comes out of Toronto is the appreciation a good deal of effort needs be made to build upon the public health care infrastructure that does exist and to find effective ways to supplement those efforts and meet the demands of the pandemic until the national systems can stand on their own feet.
First, let me begin by congratulating the Law and Health Initiative (LAHI) of the Open Society Institute (OSI) for bringing focus to the critical issues related to human rights issues related to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This is and will remain critical work and is very worthy of continued support. I wish you well in Toronto and hope your work is productive. I am, however profoundly struck by the omission of a critical rights-based element and that is the plight of public care providers. No one, either a person going to work or seeking treatment should fall prey to infectious disease. Yet, it is clear in many countries this is a distinct possibility even though we know how to prevent such infections. We can talk all we want about setting targets for universal access to treatment by 2010 and then we will move the goal post yet again when we fail. I do not know anyone who really believes these goals are attainable particularly given what, if any, health care infrastructure in place in the countries most afflicted. There will be a lot of talk in Toronto about health care workers and a fair amount will undoubtedly be focused on community-based solutions. To fight HIV/AIDS and OIs will require every resource in our arsenal, but to substitute donor supported community-based solutions thereby letting national governments off the hook is unsustainable and irresponsible . There are no substitutes for proper health care, every resource is needed. For national governments to fail to provide even the most basic protections for public health care providers is unacceptable. For donors to support community-based programs that cannot do the same is unacceptable. Health care providers whether public or private are a front line of defense and they must be protected. I sincerely wish that one of the things that comes out of Toronto is the appreciation a good deal of effort needs be made to build upon the public health care infrastructure that does exist and to find effective ways to supplement those efforts and meet the demands of the pandemic until the national systems can stand on their own feet.
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Comment: Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More than Ever at 2006 IAC
Tags: health, care, public, based, rights