Announcements

THE AHPN 10 ASKS

Date: 04-05-2010

WE ASK THE UK GOVERNMENT TO:

1.     Provide free HIV testing, treatment and care for any person living in the UK, including those who are detained or in the prison system.

2.     Invest in public awareness, prevention, research and education programmes on HIV and sexual health to challenge stigma at all levels of society.

3.     Address the level of mental health problems affecting Africans living with HIV and seek to improve the health and well being outcomes for African communities in the UK.

4.     Put measures in place for effective management of the transition of children living with and affected by HIV into adolescent services, and from adolescent to adulthood, ensuring that the rights of families remain protected.

5.     Promote the elimination of all forms of discrimination of people living with HIV and eradicate any discriminatory practice in public and private spheres.

6.     Reverse the law on criminalisation of HIV transmission as it is not an effective tool for prevention. It instead reinforces stigma and discrimination of the most affected communities.

7.     Review the impact of current immigration guidelines and practice on people living with HIV and take an approach that is embedded in Human Rights, equality, dignity and respect.

8.     Review the rights of asylum seekers and their right to work as this would save the state money and encourage integration into the UK society.

9.     Invest in community development to achieve active and meaningful involvement of communities and individuals living with and affected by HIV, so that their voices influence decision making. For example, we ask that a person living with HIV have a seat on the All Party Parliament Group on AIDS (APPGA).

10.  Influence and ensure better EU-wide HIV and health policy that affect African communities and involve Africans in the diaspora in decisions that are being made regarding development in Africa.

The African HIV Policy Network wants to see:

·                   Communities less at risk

·                   Strong and strategic communities’ voices

·                    Sustained support for communities’ well being

Some key facts:

·       There are over a million Africans in the UK and this population is growing significantly, especially in London

·       Of the 83,000 people living with HIV in the UK, about 25,000 of them are Africans; 7,000 of whom are unaware of their HIV status

·       Africans comprise more than half of people diagnosed with HIV in England every year and late diagnosis is still a major problem

 Please download the document and distribute widely.

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