Networks of people living with HIV/AIDS support United States President, but express concern about implementation

Amsterdam/London/New York, December 21, GNP+ and ICW, the only international networks of people living with HIV/AIDS today came out in support of the United States President, who in his World AIDS Day announcement directed two branches of the U.S. administration to request and initiate a new rule that will enable people living with HIV to enter the U.S. on short term visas through a categorical waiver.

"We think this is a positive first step in recognizing that children, women and men living with HIV visiting the U.S. are not a public health threat, said Fiona Pettitt, Acting International Network Manager of ICW. "It is of great importance that the U.S. government recognizes contributions of people living with HIV to work done in the U.S. to further the global agenda."

GNP+ and ICW feel this is an opportunity for the United States to show global leadership on this issue. The President's announcement sends a strong message to other governments currently restricting the travel of people living with HIV (PLHIV) to their countries, such as Russia, China and many Arab states.

"The U.S. Government's message is that discrimination against PLHIV will not support our common goals of fighting HIV transmission and providing care and treatment for those already affected," said Kevin Moody, International Coordinator of GNP+.

Concern about implementation

GNP+ and ICW did express concern about how the categorical waiver would be implemented. "It should be clear the categorical waiver should not be a way to register the HIV status of people visiting the U.S.," said Fiona Pettitt of ICW.

"This waiver demonstrates that the President realizes that PLHIV are not a public health threat; therefore, there is no need to treat our visa applications any differently than those of others applying for tourist or business travel to the U.S.," said Fiona Pettitt.

GNP+ and ICW stand ready to support and assist the United States Administration in creating fair and non-discriminatory mechanisms for implementing this new ruling that will provide people living with HIV opportunity to engage with Americans in the fights against HIV.

"The U.S. President clearly stated he considered the participation of people living with HIV a critical element in the global HIV/AIDS response," said Kevin Moody of GNP+. "GNP+ and ICW, as international networks of people living with HIV, would like to offer the U.S. Administration assistance in shaping an informed mechanism for the implementation of the waiver."

Currently a 1993 law prohibits HIV+ visitors and would be immigrants from entering the U.S. without the prior approval of an HIV waiver. Aside from the waiver being extremely burdensome to obtain, entry restrictions for people living with HIV are a discriminatory practice to which the World Health Assembly spoke out as early as 1988.

Contact information: More information, questions or quotes? Please contact Beri Hull (ICW) , Emma Bell (ICW), or Martin Stolk (GNP+). All the material in this release may be reproduced freely, when GNP+ and ICW are mentioned as source.