Legal framework needed for AIDS patients

Accra, Aug. 14, GNA - Miss Gloria Afua Akuffo, Deputy Attorney-General and Deputy Minister of Justice, on Thursday said unless government adopted a supportive legal framework, effort to tackle HIV/AIDS related stigmatisation and discrimination would fail. She said: "What the government now needs is an anti-discrimination policy supported by relevant law that would ensure the protection of the rights of people living with the disease."

Miss Akuffo said this at the launching of a series of HIV/AIDS legal literacy training workshops to be organised for lawyers and judges, aimed at providing forums for policy makers to continue to dialogue to promote consensus on the disease and its related issues.

The launching was organised by a non-governmental organization, AIDS Alert Ghana in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) and the British Council to usher-in the main workshops to be held in September for over 180 lawyers and judges in the Greater Accra Region.

These workshops to be organised would afford the legal experts an opportunity to exchange information and share legal experiences that would lead to a better coordination and collaboration amongst lawmakers to benefit persons living with HIV/AIDS.

Miss Akuffo commended the NGO for coming out with such a project and said government would strengthen its commitment and work in partnership to bring about the desired change in reversing the HIV/AIDS trend, protect the well-being and promote the quality of life of all Ghanaians. She expressed regret that persons living with the disease had to endure the stigma, rejection and isolation in addition to the agony of facing a life-threatening condition.

"These feelings and attitudes need to be understood and changed. Getting the facts right about HIV transmission is vital for the well-being of the people with HIV infection as to ensure prevention itself."

Professor Sekyi Amoa, Director General of the GAC, said there were lots of legal issues relating to HIV patients that required investigations for the contribution to policy direction and strategy for dealing with the pandemic.

He said the devastating impact of the epidemic required that individuals and societies re-evaluated their attitudes, prejudices and behaviours and that the disease should be seen as a major developmental and human right issue.

Prof Amoa said the GAC has as part of its interventions established a legal and ethical sub-committee with the responsibility to develop policies that would address the legal and human right issues relating to

Ms Anna Bossman, Deputy Commissioner of the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), who chaired the function, supported the need for a legal framework to protect the rights of persons living with the disease.

She said it was against one's human right if one is forced to undertake compulsory HIV screening and testing, prohibit infected person in certain employment and occupations or refuse such a person the right to marry or give birth.

Mrs Esther Baah Amoako, Executive Director of AAG, said the project which would be extended to other legal experts in other parts of the country was part of the organisation's initiative to provide legal advice to person's living with HIV and to promote advocacy to highlight the needs and rights of such persons.

She said an HIV/AIDS 2002 situational report by the GAC revealed that efforts aimed at creating a supportive legal, ethical and policy environment for those with the disease constituted only 32. 4 per cent of what was required while effort aimed at promoting their rights constituted 46.4 per cent.

She said participants after attending the workshops would form a network to support efforts at creating a supportive environment for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and make recommendations to the GAC to aid policy formulation. 14 Aug. 03