SMUG CALLS FOR INCLUSIVE HEALTH CARE FOR LGBTI’s

Simangele Mzizi (BTM Intern)

UGANDA – 03 December 2009: Following this year’s theme for Worlds Aids day which calls for Universal Access and Human Rights, Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) has demanded non discriminatory HIVand Aids approaches to health care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) people in Uganda.
   
“LGBTI people living with HIV and Aids have been victims of human rights violations based on their sexual orientation, and this is a battle yet to be totally conquered by civil society organisations, we call for greater response to combat
HIVand Aids”, said Frank Mugisha for SMUG.

In its plea SMUG urges the Ugandan government and HIV and Aids service providers to be inclusive of men who have sex with other men (MSM) and women who have sex other women (WSW) in the national Aids strategic plans and to designate a human rights bureau position to monitor LGBTI concerns.

“HIV related stigma and discrimination is a problem that needs to be addressed in ensuring the achievement of Universal Access by 2010, and extenuating the impact of Aids by 2015”,said Mugisha.

Val Kalende of Freedom and Roam Uganda said that, LGBTI people in Uganda face discrimination and social stigma making it difficult for them to freely and openly access HIV and Aids treatment from health centres.

“Most medical people would not want to treat people who identify as gay or lesbian simply because homosexuality is illegal and they consider it a sin for anybody to be gay. Some of them see homosexuals as people who spread HIV and not people who deserve to be treated if they are infected”, she said.

Kalende explained that Uganda’s health care system is not conducive in catering for LGBTI people, women who have sex with other women and men who have sex with other men and this is the result of the stigma and unequal access to treatment and care.

“You can not expect much when our very own medical people are not even aware of how to handle LGBTI health cases and yet still homophobic at the same time. The Ministry of Health under the powers of government must come clean on its commitment to cater to LGBTI people in terms of HIV and AIDS treatment and care”, she added.

SMUG also maintains that the legislation like the Anti-Homosexuality Bill currently before parliament in Uganda, targeting sexual minorities is an obstacle in effectively addressing HIV in Uganda.

“If the anti-homosexuality bill becomes law, Uganda’s efforts into the fight against HIV and Aids will be severely thwarted. The passing of this bill will further bring discrimination against HIV positive LGBTI persons and drive underground those who need access to prevention, treatment and care services”, said Kalende.

Mugisha shared the same sentiments saying, “ to have better results the approaches have to be non discriminatory ,LGBTI people have always been left out we feel this is the time to bring them on board and part of HIV programs like all Ugandans.”

According to Daniel Molokele, Africa program officer at the World Aids Campaign, discrimination and punitive laws aimed at marginalised groups and at those often among the most affected by HIV drives people underground and does nothing to help slow down the Aids epidemic.

Meanwhile, a 2009 world survey of criminalisation laws found that 80 countries including 10 of the PEPFAR (U.S President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) have laws criminalising same sex relations between consenting adults.
 
“Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) and UNAIDS specifically called for a review of legal impediments to the inclusion of most-at-risk-populations including MSM in the national AIDS response, whereas UAC seems to be moving towards this progress, discriminatory legislations may hinder this achievement”, said Mugisha.

Established on 1 December 1988, World Aids Day is observed every year and is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic.

“The fight against HIV and Aids should be an inclusive one and not discriminatory if we all want to see an Aids free world, every human being, straight or gay has a right to life”, concluded Kalende.