Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report

Caribbean Laws Criminalizing Homosexuality Hampering Efforts To Fight HIV/AIDS, Should Be Repealed, Officials Say

[Nov 12, 2008]

HIV advocates and health officials in the Caribbean recently called for a repeal of laws in the region that criminalize male-to-male sexual contact during the eighth annual Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS, the CMC/Antigua Sun reports. The CMC/Sun reports that HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men in the region is "very high," and supporters of efforts to repeal such laws say the legislation hinders efforts to fight HIV/AIDS among MSM. The Bahamas repealed its law banning homosexuality in the early 1990s, and Cuba never had such a law, but "someone has to take the initiative" to strike down such laws in other Caribbean countries, Peter Figueroa, head of epidemiology and AIDS programs in the Jamaican Ministry of Health, said.

Figueroa said that repealing such laws could help decrease discrimination against MSM by sending a signal that they should not be excluded from society. He said inclusion of the MSM population is "important because when people see themselves as excluded or discriminated against and stigmatized, it promotes risky behavior," which could increase the possibility of HIV transmission. Figueroa added that repealing the ban would help "promote personal responsibility for safe sex."

According to Figueroa, it is "difficult for [people in the region] to understand the public health argument" that such laws are "outdated" and "contribut[e] to the [HIV] epidemic" because many people in the region believe homosexuality is "immoral." He said his motives for supporting the repeal are based on public health concerns. Although Figueroa said officials are "respecting whatever views there are concerning the morality of [homosexuality]," policymakers, health workers and advocates should look at the act "from a public health perspective, ... recognizing that [a repeal] will help to reduce the spread of HIV."

According to the CMC/Sun, the "next major hurdle" in the effort to repeal such laws is to persuade politicians, such as Jamaica's Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who "have long maintained that they would not commit political suicide by taking actions not popular with their constituents." However, political support for repealing such laws is increasing, with political figures like Dominica's Health Minister John Fabien offering support, CMC/Sun reports.

Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland, a Barbadian lawyer, said that although she is not convinced the "political will is there" to repeal the acts, she does think the "awareness building is there." Bynoe-Sutherland said that "what is increasingly going to happen is that there is going to be a constructive discussion using public health, using approaches to improving the health systems...that would allow the politicians to do what they have to do for all communities" who are at risk of HIV/AIDS (CMC/Antigua Sun, 11/10).

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Support for Elderly in Malawi Declining Because of HIV/AIDS, Poverty, Government Report Says

[Nov 12, 2008]

A recent government report -- titled and conducted by Zifa Kazeze, formerly of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa -- says that Malawi's elderly population is seeing less care and support from their children and communities as the impact of HIV/AIDS and a weakening economy changes family structures in the country, IRIN News reports. The government plans to release social grants to address this growing burden on the elderly population.

At the beginning of 2008, 11.9% of the country's adult population was living with HIV/AIDS, according to UNAIDS. Meanwhile, 13% of Malawi's children under age 18 are orphaned, primarily as a result of HIV/AIDS. IRIN News reports that because HIV/AIDS has had a major impact on the young adult generation, many orphans are in the care of their grandparents -- who often do not have economic stability and are unable to take care of both their own needs and the needs of their grandchildren. According to HelpAge International -- a global network of not-for-profit organizations that promotes the rights of older people -- between 50% to 60% of orphans in Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe live with their grandparents.

According to a 2003 report from Malawi's government, 48% of respondents either knew or heard about the abuse of an older person. "In the past, the elderly in Malawi used to depend on the economic and social support of their children and the community. With increased socio-economic difficulties and changing family ties, children fail to look after their ageing parents," the report said. The report also highlighted how older populations contribute to the socio-economic development of Malawi, adding, "It is important, therefore, that the implications of ageing issues in Malawi are understood, especially the challenges older persons face, and to respond to the challenges and opportunities of ageing."

Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report

AIDS/HIV