World Health Organization, this
is Veronica Riemer in Geneva
Transcript of the podcast, 10 July 2009
About 10% of the world's population have a disability.
In this episode, we look at why they are particularly
vulnerable to HIV and AIDS.
Veronica Riemer: You're listening to the WHO podcast
and my name is Veronica Riemer. In this episode, we look
at why persons with disabilities are particularly
vulnerable to HIV and AIDS. [MUSIC]
About 10% of the world's population have a disability.
Just like any other person, many engage in behaviours
which place them at risk of HIV infection, such as
unprotected heterosexual or male-to-male sex and
injecting drug use. However, persons with disabilities
frequently have limited access to HIV education,
information and prevention services. They may be turned
away from community HIV education forums because of
assumptions that they are not sexually active, or do not
engage in other risky behaviour such as injecting drugs.
Dr Susan Girois, Director of Technical Resources Division
of Handicap International in Lyon, France, tells us more.
Dr Susan Girois: Once someone does have HIV, and now
we are talking about access to care and support, many of
the issues regarding access are difficult for people with
either sensory impairment -- like people with visual
impairment or people who are hearing impaired -- people
who may have problems with physical mobility and other
people who may have mental health conditions or who may
have intellectual disability. Access is really key.
Veronica Riemer: Children with disabilities who are
outside mainstream education miss vital sexual and
reproductive health education. In some communities, low
literacy levels amongst those who are disabled means they
cannot read available HIV prevention information.
Similarly, lack of material in Braille format means
people with visual impairments cannot read this
information either.
Studies have shown that a large percentage of persons
with disabilities will experience sexual assault or abuse
during their lifetime, with women and girls, persons with
intellectual impairments and those in specialized
institutions, schools or hospitals being at particularly
high risk. In some cultures, persons with disabilities
are raped in the belief that this will "cure" an
HIV-positive individual.
Although the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities does not explicitly refer to HIV or AIDS in
its definition, states are required to recognize that
persons living with HIV who are exposed to stigma and
discrimination, fall under the protection of the
Convention. Sharon Peake, Policy Adviser for HIV/AIDS in
the International Health Division of Health Canada,
explains why.
Sharon Peake: People living with HIV and AIDS and
persons with disabilities have many shared challenges,
and there are common barriers to access, and there are
shared experiences between both groups.
Veronica Riemer: There is a critical need to break
down the barriers of stigma and discrimination against
people with disabilities and those living with HIV/AIDS
who work as professionals within the health sector. Dr
Alice Wellbourn, former chair of the International
Community of Women Living with HIV and AIDS explains.
Dr Alice Wellbourn: Globally, there are huge numbers
of people living with HIV or with other disabilities
within the health sector who daren't reveal the
disabilities that they have to their colleagues, to their
managers for fear of somehow being looked down upon for
having somehow failed their profession. And the great
tragedy is, in South Africa for instance and other
countries, year on year there is a net a reduction in the
number of people in the health sector owing to
AIDS-related sickness and death.
Veronica Riemer: One part of the response to this
problem in South Africa is that the government has
recognized that disability organizations have a role to
play in providing HIV prevention, care and treatment.
Counsellors with disabilities are placed in voluntary
testing centres and free HIV testing is encouraged at
disability meetings. Sign language interpreters are being
trained in key HIV messages and are being assigned to HIV
clinics. But experts say, along with care givers,
everyone has a role to play in integrating persons with
disabilities, as Dr Susan Girois explains.
Dr Susan Girois: If you are a care giver of someone
with a disability, if you work as a professional, if you
are a person with hearing impairment or visual impairment
or other impairments, you also have a role to play, to be
sure that anyone else is not stigmatized because they are
living with HIV within your own community. We all have a
role to play.
Veronica Riemer: That was Dr Susan Girois from
Handicap International. If you would like to learn more
about this issue, there are links to related information
on the transcript page of this podcast episode. Look for
the link to the podcast on the home page of our web site,
at www.who.int
That's all for this episode of the WHO podcast. Thanks
for listening. If you have any comments on our podcast or
have any suggestions for future health topics do drop us
a line. Our email address is Podcast@who.int.
Source: www.who.int
