Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-11-19-Speech-3-384"
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"en.20081119.25.3-384"2
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"−
Madam President, Commissioner Potočnik, ladies and gentlemen, it is twenty five years since HIV was discovered. Today, it is of the utmost importance, now that the epidemic has claimed more than 25 million lives, that the European Union reaffirm its commitment to combat the global HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Universal access to prevention, testing, early treatment and support in this field is essential, and the European Parliament, your House, emphasised this in its resolution of 24 April 2007. There is an urgent need to increase the rate of development, and also to increase implementation of prevention, information, education and awareness campaigns, and to invest in research and development of new prevention and testing strategies, which must be kept up-to-date with changes in the nature of the pandemic.
In particular, it is of prime importance that testing and treatment are done as early as possible, and that anti-retroviral drugs are made available at an affordable price. When diagnosis is made too late, or if the immune system is too badly damaged by the disease, patients have an increased risk of death in the four years following diagnosis.
In order to screen earlier, it is necessary to use new strategies and tools, such as rapid screening tests. It would be useful to offer testing more widely, providing that patients consent, of course. It is useful to remember that these rapid screening tests can be carried out where there is no medical laboratory, and that the results may be given to patients within a relatively short time.
In order to encourage people living with HIV/AIDS to be tested early, it is also essential to overcome discrimination barriers. The fear of the stigma attached to a positive test result can prevent patients from accessing early screening. For this reason, the European Union must speak out clearly and consistently against all forms of discrimination against people living with HIV anywhere in the world.
This strongly held conviction is shared by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy and by Bernard Kouchner, who have brought this matter to the attention of the United Nations. HIV is to be treated as a transmissible but non-contagious disease, and any restrictions on freedom of access, travel and residence for HIV positive people, because of their HIV status, are counterproductive. Any such practices will dissuade patients from obtaining screening and treatment, which is harmful to the individual and to society.
In conclusion, I should like to make two observations. The first is that our common goal is as follows: people who test positive for HIV must receive high-quality treatment, regardless of their origin, nationality, opinions, age, sex, sexual orientation, religion or any other factor.
The second observation is that, in this context, international coordination is essential if this pandemic is to be defeated. I would like to pay tribute to the EuroHIV programme, which has, since 1984, been disseminating essential information about HIV/AIDS to the WHO, UNAIDS and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. In order to make prevention, screening and early treatment available to all, in order that people with the disease are no longer stigmatised or discriminated against, in order that the countries of the South have proper access to drugs, cooperation between UN agencies and regional agencies must be increased.
More than ever, the European Union must be involved in this fight."@en1
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