Howard asked to clarify HIV visas
Cath Hart
June 01, 2007
AN international HIV-AIDS group has demanded that John Howard
explain how his Government will treat HIV-positive visa-holders
attending an international treatment and prevention conference
in Sydney in July.
In a strongly worded letter from the European AIDS Treatment
Group, obtained by The Australian yesterday, the Prime Minister
is criticised for fomenting stigma against people with HIV-AIDS
and accused of 19th-century "isolationist measures".
In April, Mr Howard said people with HIV-AIDS should only be
allowed into Australia for humanitarian reasons.
He then asked the Immigration and Health ministers for advice
on the public health risks and implications of letting HIV-positive
people into the country, signalling a possible expansion of screening
and monitoring of HIV-positive visitors.
EATG chairman Wim Vandevelde said it was an "honour"
for Australia to be chosen to host the fourth International AIDS
Society Conference, which organisers expect up to 6000 people
to attend, including delegates with HIV-AIDS.
"Attempts to control HIV-positive conference participants'
liberty of movement will criminalise those who are the most motivated
to end this epidemic," he said.
"We find your plans, motivated, we suspect, purely by populism,
disrespectful of our struggle against the disease that affects
us".
Mr Vandevelde said Mr Howard needed to "clarify the entry
situation for HIV-positive people urgently".
"Unilateral and isolationist measures belong to the 19th
century," he said.
The letter, which was copied to UNAIDS, the World Health Organisation
and the Gates Foundation, said Mr Howard's comments could compromise
the IAS conference.
The conference, which is sponsored by pharmaceutical giants such
as Roche and Pfizer and government agencies AusAID, the federal
Department of Health and Ageing and NSW Health, runs from July
22-25 at the Sydney Convention Centre.
Mr Vandevelde also criticised Mr Howard for "targeting HIV-positive
immigrants", saying that "such provisions are both ineffective
as a public health measure and unacceptable from a human rights
perspective".
Brian Haill, from the Australian AIDS Fund, said the international
response from EATG had deepened his concerns that Mr Howard was
on "a slippery slope in regards to HIV-AIDS and the great
threat of stigma and discrimination which turbo-charges the epidemic".
"The Prime Minister should take this opportunity to rethink
his earlier comments and address the international community with
regard to the key issue of stigma and discrimination," Mr
Haill said.
Under existing policy, applicants for temporary visas - which
conference delegates are most likely to apply for - are not screened
for HIV-AIDS unless they are working in healthcare.
Mr Howard's office did not return calls last night.
Brian Haill
President,
The Australian AIDS Fund Incorporated,
Melbourne, Australia.
Email: bhaill@bigpond.net.au
Website: www.aids.net.au
|
