UAE | Health
Stigma 'still surrounds Aids'
The stigma surrounding HIV/Aids prevents people with the disease from reporting and seeking help for their condition, a Ministry of Health official said
- By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 December 1, 2005
Dubai: The stigma surrounding HIV/Aids prevents people with the disease from reporting and seeking help for their condition, a Ministry of Health official said
Public health officials said that made it hard for them to get a clear picture of the HIV/Aids situation in the country.
"The Ministry of Health is keen to encourage better reporting among people, but many don't because they fear the consequences," said a senior official with the Ministry of Health.
"Some go overseas to get a test. They will not go and seek help because of the stigma," he added.
UAE law requires deportation of any expatriate resident of the UAE who tests positive for HIV/Aids. The UAE also requires mandatory testing for anyone undergoing surgery at government hospitals, getting married, enrolling in local universities, before starting a job and if he or she has tuberculosis. Positive test results conducted in the public and private sector have to be reported to the government and the police.
UAE nationals who test positive usually lose their jobs and face ostracism from society.
The incidence rate of HIV/Aids in the Middle East and North Africa is on the increase, according to the 2005 World Health Organisation (WHO) report on HIV/Aids. The report added that knowledge of Aids in the region was poor and preventive practices rare, even among populations most at risk of becoming infected.
The prevalence rate for HIV/Aids among GCC countries is low compared to other countries, according to health officials.
The UAE government credits the low rate to the region's strict policy of requiring mandatory HIV testing for incoming workers and deporting anyone who has it.
However one official said: "It's better to be transparent so we can formulate better health policies. We can find out if cases are on the increase and find ways to prevent more cases in the country, and also if the numbers are down."
According to the 2005 WHO Aids Epidemic Update, the advance of Aids in the Middle East and North Africa has continued. The latest estimates show that 67,000 people became infected with HIV in 2005.
Approximately 510,000 people are living with HIV in the region. An estimated 58,000 adults and children died of Aids-related illnesses in 2005.
The WHO said the increase showed that substantive efforts were needed to introduce more effective HIV prevention strategies in the region.
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