Anti-discrimination laws coming for HIV/AIDS
June 11, 2006
NEW LAWS to reduce discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS are on the horizon.
Law firm, Mcneil and Macfarlane, commissioned by the National HIV/STI Control Programme, has made a number of recommendations to reform existing legislation in an effort to improve the protection of human rights of people living with the disease.
The law firm has made 11 recommendations to amend existing laws and establish new ones to help treat HIV/AIDS-related issues in schools and workplace and other public and private institutions. The recommendations were made based on a review of international conventions and treaties by the firm pertaining to HIV/AIDS and human rights.
Among the recommendations are calls for amendments to the Public Health Act to redefine the term 'communicable diseases' so HIV is not seen as an air-borne infection, and also a repeal of the buggery law under the Offences Against the Person Act to reduce the incidence of discrimination based on sexual orientation.
AGITATING FOR DISCRIMINATION ACT
Mcneil and Macfarlane are also agitating for a National Education Policy Act to deal with the issue of discrimination in both private and public schools.
While there is currently a policy to manage HIV/AIDS in schools, there are still some schools that are turning away children because they are HIV positive
or perceived to be so, because a relative or parent is living with the infection or disease. Many of the schools are private institutions that feel they are governed by the current policy....
Author: Gareth Manning
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
