HIV and AIDS & Rights

The Commission has in recent months been collaborating with stakeholders on a number of activities aimed at addressing human rights issues in relation to HIV and AIDS. Among these are:

Tackling HIV/AIDS in the Prison

Prisoners are rarely targeted in HIV prevention, treatment and care efforts and yet they are perceived to be highly vulnerable to HIV and AIDS just as other vulnerable groups such as women and children.

The Human Rights Commission is drawing attention to this less-explored reality.

Following the launch of a training programme for prisoners and Prison Warders by the Commissioner of Prisons earlier in June 2009, several HIV/AIDS and human rights trainings have been undertaken in Northern, Central, Lusaka and Southern Provinces.

The lack of strategic information that empowers prisoners as right-holders to assert their rights and the prison staff as duty-bearers to fulfill their obligations as regards HIV/AIDS and human rights related issues prompted the need for the training.

The Human Rights Commission and Prisons Care and Counseling Association (PRISCCA) are working together to train trainers in prisons on human rights and HIV/AIDS related issues.

Human Rights Commission Programme Officer for human rights and HIV/AIDS, Mrs. Chipo Mushota – Nkhata describe the training of trainers in prisons as “the first of its kind.”

Livingstone State Prison, Kamwala Remand Prison, Kanfinsa Sate Prison, Choma State Prison, Mukobeko Maximum Prison (Male section) and Katombora Reformatory School are but some of the insititutions that have benefited from the training programme so far.

Open Forum on HIV and AIDS and human rights

On July 29, HRC held an Open Forum on HIV and AIDS and human rights at Alliance Francaise in Lusaka for stakeholders to discuss ‘less talked about’ issues on HIV transmission among the vulnerable groups and the criminalization of HIV transmission in Zambia.

It [Open Forum] simply seeks to create an environment where we inquire  from the discussants ‘what the issues are’ and ‘whether there are indeed human rights issues to respond to or address within the framework of the law’,” said HRC Vice Chairperson, Mr. Palan Mulonda, when welcoming participants at the Forum.

About 50 people were in attendance at the Forum and listened to expert views on the issues under discussion.

The discussants were drawn from the Human Rights Commission, Law Association of Zambia, Prisons Care and Counselling Association (PRISCCA), Zambia AIDSLaw Research and Advocacy Network (ZARAN), Treatment Advocacy Literacy Campaign (TALC), and UNAIDS.

HIV and AIDS and human rights consultative Workshop

A stakeholders’ consultative workshop held on 28th and 29th April 2009. The workshop was undertaken pursuant to an agreement between the University of Pretoria, Centre for Study of AIDS, and the Commission to ascertain areas of intervention by the Commission with respect to HIV and AIDS and human rights.

HIV testing for children

A pediatric HIV workshop was organized by the Centre for Infectious Diseases (CIDRZ) on June 2009. The Human Rights Commission was invited to provide training for counselors and puppeteers on legal and ethical considerations concerning HIV testing for children.

Clinical trials on microbicides

At a microbicides workshop organized by CIDRZ on 23rd and 24th June, the Commission particpated in the discussions on the development of microbicides as a prevention mechanism for HIV transmission, including the different kinds of microbicides that have been introduced and the clinical trials being conducted in parts of the world to test their safety and efficacy.

In Zambia, clinical trials on microbicides are under way in Mazabuka and Lusaka.