During an official visit to Argentina from 9 to 11 September, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé stressed the importance of keeping human rights issues on the political agenda. He also noted how the AIDS response can be used as a platform to promote social inclusion and the rights of the most marginalized populations.
Mr Sidibé met with government officials, people living with HIV and representatives of civil society and academia. He congratulated Argentina for the results achieved in advancing human rights, especially the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (LGBTI).
In 2010, Argentina became the first country in Latin America to allow same-sex marriage, and two years later the National Congress passed a comprehensive Gender Identity Law. Esteban Paulón, President of the LGBTI Federation of Argentina, said that, “In a region with large inequalities, we in Argentina have a moral obligation to work towards advancing the rights and equality we have achieved here beyond our borders.”
The country has also made progress in accelerating access to antiretroviral therapy. Argentina offers treatment free of charge to all people who test positive for HIV, regardless of their CD4 count.
The Minister of Health, Daniel Gollán, expressed the government’s commitment to ensuring that the HIV response is sustainable and medication prices are affordable. “Health is an inalienable and essential human right. There should be no other perspective,” said Mr Gollán. “We are working hard to fight abusive pricing. Companies must be profitable, but prices cannot be impossible to pay, otherwise we deny access.”
According to Pedro Cahn, Director of the Huésped Foundation and former President of the International AIDS Society, access to health services is not enough. More needs to be done to guarantee access to social services and employment opportunities. “HIV is a health problem, but, above all, it is a social problem,” said Mr Cahn.
Patricia Pérez, President of the More Peace Less AIDS Foundation called for the promotion of a culture of peace and respect as “an efficient tool against discrimination, violence in the family and bullying, all of which have an impact on the spread of HIV.”
In Argentina, 130 000 people were living with HIV in 2014, 47% of whom had access to HIV treatment. According to the government, 30% of people living with HIV do not know their status.
