Sundhedsudvalget 2010-11 (1. samling)
SUU Alm.del Bilag 328
Offentligt
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Dear Minister of Justice, Mr. Lars Barfoed andMinister of Health, Mr. Bertel HaarderWe, the undersigned, 122 non-governmenetal and community-based organisations, national and regional networks working onHIV and AIDS congratulate you on your wise decision to suspend section 252 (2) and (3) of the Danish Penal Code on HIV and AIDS.The remarkable progress in treatment options for people living with HIV that allows for the possibility of a normal life expectancyand greatly reduces the possibility of exposing others to HIV is certainly a good reason to reconsider the law on HIV and AIDS.However, in your important work on the revision of the Danish law we strongly urge you to consider whether the particular sec-tion in the Penal Code that relates specifically to HIV exposure or transmission should exist at all. HIV exposure or transmissionshould not be singled out for special consideration as a criminal offence but should be treated in the same manner as other seriouscommunicable diseases.Punitive laws on HIV and AIDS undercut basic HIV prevention and sexual health messages and are ineffective in reducing thespread of HIV. Since HIV mainly spreads from persons not aware of their HIV status, such laws only fuel ignorance, fear, stigma, anddiscrimination against people aware they are living with the virus. We strongly believe such laws are counterproductive since theylessen the likelihood that individuals will learn their HIV status and access treatment.In our opinion, consistent with rational public health-based policy, only intentional transmission of a serious communicable dis-ease should be criminalised. In addition, we strongly suggest that the Danish Government support efforts that emphasise sharedresponsibility for HIV prevention and the importance of providing comprehensive prevention and care services for people living withHIV to help reduce the risk of transmission to others.
Yours sincerely,
AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA), Namibia• Terrence Higgins Trust, UK • Young Activists Against AIDS Ghana,Ghana• EMPOWER INDIA - Professional Civil Society Organisation, IndiaPrevention Advocacy and Gay Men’s HealthAIDSFoundation of Chicago, USAInternational Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA), USAICW Global, InternationalThe CanadianHIV/AIDS Legal Network, CanadaHIV Prevention Justice Alliance, USAAIDS Foundation of Chicago, USAFaith And HopeAssociation(FAHA), SeychellesCentre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), MalawiTreatment Advocacy & LiteracyCampaign (TALC), ZambiaThe Communities Living with HIV, TB and affected by Malaria Delegation to the Global Fund Boardto fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, by Rolake Odetoyinbo (Nigeria), Shaun Mellors (South Africa), Rachel Ong (Singapore)Coalitionof Women Living with HIV and AIDS (COWLHA), MalawiFemme Plus ASBL, Democratic Republic CongoChildren EducationSociety(CHESO), TanzaniaWomen Together for Change, Inc., St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsNtchisi Integrated DevelopmentOrganisation, MalawiChildren and Young People HIV Network / National Children’s Bureau, UKMATRAM-MozambicanTreatment Access Movement, MozambiqueSalud por Derecho / Right to Health Foundation, SpainPublic PersonalitiesAgainst AIDS Trust, ZimbabweSCARJoV - Associa§ão de Reintegra§ão dos Jovens/Crian§as na Vida Social, AngolaWomen andLaw In Southern Africa, ZimbabweProtection Enfants Sida (P.E.S), Democratic Republic CongoSidaction, FranceNationalAssociation of People living with HIV in Nepal, NepalGlobal Research and Advocacy Group (GRAG), SenegalDACOPHA (Dares Salaam Coalition of District Networks of People Living with HIV/AIDS), TanzaniaSwiss AIDS Federation, SwitzerlandPolishNational Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS ”SIEC PLUS”, PolandAIDES, FranceRIGIAC - SIDA/SANNAM, DemocraticRepublic CongoGAT, PortugalHIV Iceland, IcelandPlaneta Salud, SpainCOMITÉ CIUDADANO ANTI-SIDA DEL PDO.DE ASTURIAS, SpainThe Centre for Health Policy and Innovation, InternationalBody Positive North West, UKEstonianNetwork of PLWH, EstoniaAsociatia SENS POZITIV, RomaniaThe Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS, (BONELA),BotswanaTreatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign (TALC), ZambiaCentre for the Development of People (CEDEP),MalawiSENSOA, BelgiumTEENAGERS PLUS CBO- NAIROBI, KenyaReproductive Health Uganda, UgandaRFSU -Swedish Association for Sexuality Education, SwedenPositivo, PortugalRéCAP+, CameroonGrupo de Trabajo sobreTratamientos del VIH (gTt), SpainProjecte dels NOMS-Hispanosida, SpainNPS Italia Onlus, ItalyAlbanian Associationof PLWHA, AlbaniaNetwork of African People Living with HIV for Southern Africa Region (NAPSAR+), South AfricaBalance,MexicoAsia Pacific Council of AIDS Service Organizations (APCASO), MalaysiaREDVIH (Red Comunitaria del VIH delestado español), SpainSTOP AIDS, DenmarkOmsida, SpainFEAT (Foro Español de Activistas en Tratamientos deVIH), SpainHiv-Danmark, DenmarkKenya Voluntary Women Rehabilitation Centre (K-VOWRC), KenyaSociety ofWomen and AIDS in Kenya (SWAK), KenyaAIDS-Linien, DenmarkDeutsche AIDS-Hilfe, GermanySeniorhands toAfrica and Asia (ShAA), DanmarkHIV-Sweden, SwedenSalud Family Health Center, USAAsociación Unión Alcalareña,SpainAsociación Madvihda, SpainPositivgruppen, DenmarkWATAG (West Africa Treatment Action Group), CoteD’IvoireWomen and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA), SwazilandThe UKCAB HIV Advocacy Network, UKHiv VerenigingNederland Dutch HIV Association, The NetherlandsThe Canadian Treatment Action Council (CTAC), CanadaNGO AIDSInformation and Support Center, EstoniaOsservatorio Italiano sull’Azione Globale contro l’AIDS, ItalyZimbabwe Lawyersfor Human Rights, ZimbabweCzech AIDS Help Society, The Czech RepublicLithuanian network of people living with HIV/AIDS,LithuaniaFederación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gais, Transexuales y Bisexuales (FELGTB), SpainOndamaris, GermanyAidsFonds, The NetherlandsSoa Aids Nederland, The NetherlandsamfAR - the Foundation for AIDS Research, USA2-SpiritedPeople of the 1st Nations, CanadaGestos - HIV+, Communication and Gender, BrazilItalian League For Fighting Aids,ItalyPublic Foundation ”Answer”, KazakhstanSex og Politikk, NorwayPositive Living Association, TurkeyPositiveVoice, GreecePositive Council Switzerland, SwitzerlandLHL (The Norwegian Heart and Lung Patient Organisation),NorwayAIDS Action Europe, The NetherlandsResearch Institute Without Walls (RIWW), USAPublic Organization AgainstAIDS, AzerbaijanAIDSHILFE OBERÖSTERREICH, AustriaEast Europe and Central Asia Union of PLWHA, InternationalRealPeople, Real Vision, GeorgiaInternational AIDS Women’s Caucus (IAWC), InternationalWomen Won’t Wait Campaign,InternationalLatin American and Caribbean Women’s Health Network (LACWHN), LAC RegionICW (The International Communityof Women with HIV/AIDS) East Africa, UgandaAll-Russian Union of People, Living with HIV, RussiaBlue Diamond Society,NepalCOCQ SIDA (Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le VIH/SIDA), CanadaNew Dawn of Hope,ZimbabweFederacion Provincial ”Renovacion”, SpainRéCAP+, CameroonBelarusian PLWH Community, BelarusNetworkof African People, Living with HIV -NAP+CAR, Central Africa RegionThe Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN),NigeriaReal World, Real People, ArmeniaNational Empowerment Network of PLHAs in Kenya (NEPHAK), KenyaThe HIV &AIDS Legal Clinic, CanadaPILS (Prévention Information Lutte contre le Sida), MauritiusAIDS-Fondet, Denmark