Sarup: AIDS Infected People Have Been Murdered

The worldwide HIV/AIDS is now a worldwide epidemic primarily killing people in poor countries in Asia and Africa. The drug treatments are expensive, and are unaffordable to vast numbers of the people.

And also there have been significant disputes between Western pharmaceutical manufacturers who have invested billions of dollars in research to make new drugs and poor nations have been effected.

On the other side, today, Joe Amon, director of the HIV/AIDS program at Human Rights Watch said, "Twenty-five years into the epidemic, people living with HIV or AIDS are still feared and stigmatized. We can't defeat AIDS unless we end outrageous abuses against activists, outreach workers, people living with AIDS and those most vulnerable to infection.

Many more cases of abuse happen daily, but we never find out about them and can't document them. We know how to win the fight against AIDS. We must provide information on HIV transmission, protect women from sexual violence, ensure access to condoms, clean needles and methadone, and expand access to anti-retroviral drugs. Defeating AIDS is still more a question of political will than one of knowledge or know-how". Amon said.

According to Human Rights Watch also said today that since the 2004 AIDS conference in Bangkok numerous AIDS activists, outreach workers, people living with HIV/AIDS and those thought to be infected have been imprisoned, assaulted and even murdered. Like for example In November 2005, Steve Harvey, an outspoken AIDS activist in Jamaica, was murdered in an apparent hate crime. In April 2006, Isaiah Gakuyo, 15, was killed with a pitchfork by his uncle and guardian for being HIV-positive. In June 2006, Vivian Kavuma was murdered by her lover in Uganda after disclosing that she was infected with HIV. report said.

And also the developing world now has been dealing with ignorance and many social taboos in treating the disease. There has been progress in treating HIV/AIDS worldwide, but it comes more slowly than many would prefer. My own personal feeling is that until that policy makers know and care about, little will be done.

Journalist and Story Writer Kamala Sarup is an editor of peacejournalism.com. Some of the main focus of the e-magazine have been on disarmament, conflict resolution, nonviolent sanctions, conflicts and crises. Its activities include training,research and supports peace, democracy and development in societies undergoing crisis and change. Kamala Sarup is specialising in in-depth reporting and writing on Peace Resolutions, Anti war, Women, Terrorism, Anti Fascism, Democracy, and Development.

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