Stakeholders harp on legal framework on human rights, HIV and AIDS in Ghana

A two-day National Consultation Meeting on improving the legal framework concerning human rights, HIV and AIDS issues in Ghana began in Accra on Monday.

The meeting organised by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNAIDS in partnership with Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), sought to elaborate recommendations for the improvement and strengthening of the judicial system to implement and analyse controversial legal issues linked to human rights and HIV in Ghana.

It would ensure the implementation of a working group on HIV to follow-up on the recommendations made at the meeting, exchange and identify the perspectives and strategies that guaranteed effectiveness of the legal framework in the epidemiology, socio-economic and cultural context of Ghana.

Participants included representatives from Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), Ministries, United Nations Agencies, human rights as well as community-based organisations, health professionals, Parliamentarians, Religious leaders, People Living with HIV (PLHIV) associations, the Judicial Service, National Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) the Media.

Dr Leopold Zekeng, Country Coordinator, UNAIDS, said the meeting would determine the whether or not to adopt a specific legislation on HIV. He explained that the meeting was convened based on the 2010 complete review and assessment of the various legal provisions in Ghana that protected people affected by HIV or those whose rights were being violated.

Dr Zekeng said the review led to the production of a report that fundamental rights of everyone with emphasis on vulnerable groups and follow up mechanisms that guaranteed their effectiveness.

He said the report identified provisions and mechanisms that could impede strengthening the fight against HIV and AIDS in Ghana.

Dr Zekeng said the national consultation would offer an opportunity to stakeholders to dialogue, exchange and analyse issues concerning adopting a specific HIV law in Ghana.

He said a national coalition would be created at the end of the session, to follow up on the recommendations made at the meeting.

Dr Zekeng stressed on the importance of partnership as a key component in the long journey of attaining the three zeros which were: “Zero new infections, Zero discrimination and Zero HIV and AIDS-related deaths”.

However, he indicated that although there was increased commitment to human rights globally, leading a decline in new infections as well as increase in access to treatment and care, there was still more to be done.

“HIV-related stigma and discrimination is retarding efforts of ensuring access to care and treatment for PLHIV in Ghana”, adding, "…when people’s rights are not protected, they become vulnerable and lose confidence in seeking care".

Dr Zekeng said Ghana was yet to conduct a stigma index, but did not think the outcome would differ from what pertained in countries that had conducted similar researches.

He stressed the need to maintain the commitment and political will in upholding the human rights of the vulnerable in society and hoped the outcome of the meeting would form the basis for political dialogue on a legal framework on human rights for HIV and AIDS.

Dr Angela El-Adas, Director-General, GAC, said Ghana could not attain the Millennium Development Goals on HIV and AIDS without tackling the issue of stigma and discrimination.

She said when people were abused, stigmatised and discriminated against for publicly declaring their HIV positive status, others would prefer to hide their status or go for counseling and testing to know their status which could spell further doom for the country, especially, in its effort to eliminate HIV through the Prevention of Mother-to-Child-Transmission (PMTCT).

Dr El-Adas said attainment of quality health care for all would therefore depend largely on the removal of all barriers to accessing quality health care which included stigma and discrimination.

She expressed the hope that strategies would be formulated to improve upon legal environment and HIV in Ghana.**