Uganda - There must be no more talk of leaving us to get sick and die
For immediate release: March 11, 2005 - Uganda
The International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS is shocked and deeply dismayed to read that members of the Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS reportedly suggest that providing anti-retroviral treatment may in fact be contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS and that it might be better to let people with AIDS die rather than having access to these life-saving drugs.
HIV positive women are shocked by the statements attributed to Hon. Justine Lumumba of the HIV/AIDS Parliamentary Committee and Dr. Kihumuro Apuli of Uganda AIDS Commission (as per The Monitor article of 8th March 2005: "Effect of AIDS drugs worry MPS"
The Parliamentary Committee seems to be taking a backwards step, at a time when countries across the world are showing leadership by increasing their political and financial commitments to providing treatment, mobilising human resources and effectively engaging partners to scale up treatment access and to achieve the World Health Organisation goal of 3 million people on treatment by the end of 2005.
We are saddened by Hon. Justine Lumumba's lack of solidarity with women living with HIV/AIDS. We are further disheartened by the statements attributed to her, since she represents women in Parliament! Nineteen million women are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. New infections are growing fastest amongst young women. Women of all ages have little control over our sexual and reproductive lives. Young women particularly are often denied the choice to abstain. Many women are infected by husbands or partners, even when they are faithful. It is said that in Africa over 60% of women who are HIV positive have never had sex with more than one man- their husbands. The Honourable member seem to suggest that these women should die. All of us have the right to live healthy and fulfilling lives, in which our human rights are respected
The International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS is shocked and deeply dismayed to read that members of the Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS reportedly suggest that providing anti-retroviral treatment may in fact be contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS and that it might be better to let people with AIDS die rather than having access to these life-saving drugs.
HIV positive women are shocked by the statements attributed to Hon. Justine Lumumba of the HIV/AIDS Parliamentary Committee and Dr. Kihumuro Apuli of Uganda AIDS Commission (as per The Monitor article of 8th March 2005: "Effect of AIDS drugs worry MPS"
The Parliamentary Committee seems to be taking a backwards step, at a time when countries across the world are showing leadership by increasing their political and financial commitments to providing treatment, mobilising human resources and effectively engaging partners to scale up treatment access and to achieve the World Health Organisation goal of 3 million people on treatment by the end of 2005.
We are saddened by Hon. Justine Lumumba's lack of solidarity with women living with HIV/AIDS. We are further disheartened by the statements attributed to her, since she represents women in Parliament! Nineteen million women are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. New infections are growing fastest amongst young women. Women of all ages have little control over our sexual and reproductive lives. Young women particularly are often denied the choice to abstain. Many women are infected by husbands or partners, even when they are faithful. It is said that in Africa over 60% of women who are HIV positive have never had sex with more than one man- their husbands. The Honourable member seem to suggest that these women should die. All of us have the right to live healthy and fulfilling lives, in which our human rights are respected