Human Rights, Life Enhanced
The first World AIDS Day was in 1988 and was started as a method of raising awareness of HIV and AIDS. Every December 1 since that first year, people around the world observe World AIDS Day not only to raise awareness but also to raise much needed funding for costly HIV care and prevention around the world.
World AIDS Day 2011: more information to come.
National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) recently announced that they will be increasing the rates of the contributions by about 500 % – 600% along with establishing outpatient coverage. The Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) sought to have NHIF restrained from enforcing the new contributions.
The ninth Kenyan parliament enacted the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Act, No.14 of 2006. Over two years after the act was passed by parliament and assented to by the the president and after a litigation commenced by the AIDS Law Project (ALP) to compel the minister to perform her duty as required by the law. The purpose of the simplification of this act is to make it easily readable, understandable and palatable to people who do not profess to any legal training.
ALP intends to achieve its mission through its programmes, which include legal aid, research, policy and legislation, training and publications as well as advocacy and networking with other organizations with the same interests.
The UNAIDS Protocol is aimed at National AIDS Programmes, but it is not just for them. It may also be used by others – interested organizations, groups or persons, including those living with or affected by HIV/AIDS – in order to detect arbitrary discrimination. Indeed, a broader range of users will help in making the Protocol a more effective human rights tool.
Over the past couple of years there has been a tremendous improvement in the fight against HIV and aids of importance concern is the anti retro viral drugs that have helped prolong the lives and dramatically improve peoples health taking them from near death back to health, family and employment. Across the developing world more than five million people receive anti retro viral drugs which represent important progress.
There is an apt West Africa saying that, to get at the root cause of the murder, one must find the blacksmith who made the machete. It seems the government ignored this saying when the Minister of State for Special Programmes through Legal Notice No. 80 of 2010 commenced section 24 of the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act from the 1st Day of December 2010. Despite this years theme on World Aids day being ‘Universal access and human rights’, transmission of HIV has now been criminalized by this statute.
After fifty days and nights in an overcrowded jail cell, the two TB patients have appeared in court, and were granted release. These men were imprisoned unjustly and illegally, and their liberation was called for by a wide coalition of civil society organizations in Kenya and internationally. Now, we must take steps to assure this never happens again.
Mr H.M has been an employee in Consolata school since 1999.He started experiencing discrimination in course of his employment based on his health status.This resulted in being forced to disclose his Hiv + status to his boss.Prior to this,he was asked not to take a shower others were taking shower,The reason being that he could infect the children.His status was further disclosed to his colleagues.He was asked to resign by his boss (father Luciano).
This attitude is contrary to provision of the employment act and the Hiv/Aids prevention and control act.
Since the start of November 2010, ALP has been distributing Hiv and Aids prevention and control act booklets to various networks. This is to create public awareness on the act and also for the PLHIV’s to know their rights as outlined in the act.
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