AEGiS-14IAC: Legal advocacy on hiv/aids and human rights.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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Legal advocacy on hiv/aids and human rights.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. G12553)

Durojaye ET
Center for the Right to Health, Lagos, Nigeria

ISSUES: Experience has shown that the cause of this problem is fear fueled by lack of knowledge. Worse still, the court of law, which should serve as a refuge of justice for these violations have shown little knowledge of the issues involved. As a result, it has become doubtful whether PLWHA will be able to obtain justice for the violations of their rights. This fact is further corroborated by a PLWHA who is a plaintiff in a case before a judge in a high court in Lagos. It was alleged that the Judge ruled that the entry of the Plaintiff to the courtroom would be dependent on expert evidence to show that people in the courtroom will not be contaminated with the virus. This clearly exemplifies the level of knowledge and fear amongst our judges with regards to HIV/AIDS

DESCRIPTION: In response to this the Center for the Right to Health, a non governmental and non political organization committed to t he actualization of the right to health of every Nigerian citizen and in particular the human rights of People Living With HIV/AIDS set up the Legal Action Committee Initiative[ LACI] a committee made up of about 12 lawyers and human rights activists to educate the public on this issue. . LACI has been able to organize about three sensitization seminars for lawyers, judges and other professionals on the human rights issues raised by HIV/AIDS. LESSONS LEARNT: One important thing, which is peculiar to the three seminars, was the fact questions asked demonstrated the fact that many of our lawyers and judges still lack the basic information on HIV/AIDS.. RECOMMENDATION: It is believed that apart from the seminars for lawyers and judges the legislature should also be sensitized to pass a law specifically protecting the human right of people living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. This sensitization seminars should also be extended to other parts of the country.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Human Rights, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Public Policy, Social Responsibility, Social Justice, Politics, Nigeria, Human, Education, ethicsKWDaegis,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,humanrights,hivinfections,hivseropositivity,publicpolicy,socialresponsibility,socialjustice,politics,nigeria,human,education,ethics

020707
G12553

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.