14/11/2012 President
Strasbourg, 14.11.2012 - “There can be no serious efforts to combat the spread of HIV if at the same time we ignore a section of the population which is infected,” said Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the PACE, speaking in Zürich today at a conference on discrimination against immigrants infected by HIV/AIDS and ways of preventing the disease. Mr Mignon pointed out that the major international texts guaranteed the rights of “all persons”, including those who were not citizens of the countries where they were living, and particularly migrants in an irregular situation.
“The principle of equal access to health care requires States to guarantee to persons without adequate means access to health care systems, and to prevent any discrimination in the supply of health care,” said the President. “Yet even though European States seem increasingly attentive to this subject – and have in particular made screening and care possible for persons in need – inequalities in this sphere are growing,” he regretted. “We must also guarantee that people affected by HIV and AIDS are protected from being sent back to their countries of origin because of their HIV status,” added Mr Mignon.