Stiff penalties for AIDS ‘infectors’

Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis yesterday said she expected “stiff” penalties to be part of legislation dealing with people who deliberately infect others with HIV. Laws are also being formulated to deal with discrimination in the workplace, at schools and by insurance companies due to their policy of mandatory HIV testing. Robinson-Regis said discrimination was also a human rights issue. Speaking to reporters yesterday after the opening ceremony of the United Nations Population Fund and InterAmerican Parliamentary Group on Population and Development, Regional Parliamentary Meeting on HIV/AIDS at Hilton Trinidad, Robinson Regis said a  “package” of legislation — The Sexual Offences, Occupational Health and Safety and Insurance Acts — has been undergoing review for the past five months.

She announced that an amendment to the Sexual Offences Act has been prepared, but Robinson-Regis said it is still being reviewed. “In terms of the burden of proof in criminal matters we have to look at it again.” She could not say what the penalties would be for those who are convicted. However, she said: “It’s a disease that could lead to death, so the penalties would be quite stiff.” Questioned about the changes being considered to the Insurance Act, she said a code of ethics is being developed “in relation to insurance issues and people who have HIV/AIDS.” Robinson-Regis could not say when the amendments would go to Parliament. The Minister told reporters there are no plans to decriminalise the law related to men who have sex with men. In her address, Robinson-Regis called for solidarity to halt the regional spread of HIV/AIDS.

Although there have been “best practices,” she said the Caribbean has not mobilised as a joint regional force sharing the best experiences and formulating strategies against shared constraints. She said one of the serious constraints facing the region is the limited capacity to engage in development planning and the strategic thinking required to build on existing strengths. Consequently, Robinson-Regis said a major challenge was the mobilisation of political will and “re-engagement of governments.” She reminded parliamentarians of their role in ensuring HIV/AIDS remains a priority because they provided the fora for the highest level of public information, debate and discussion on issues of public importance. She said the involvement of Parliamentarians in the enactment and review and amendment of legislation meant they must ensure that the issues involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS are adequately covered in the legislative framework.

Robinson-Regis said the involvement of parliamentarians in the appropriation of financial resources and overseeing the effective use of these resources was a “powerful instrument in the struggle” against the disease. Since the first case was reported in 1983, 5,000 people have died of AIDS. The National Surveillance Unit, Ministry of Health has reported that 12,600 people have been infected with HIV as at the end of September 2003. UNAIDS has estimated the adult prevalence rate to be 2.5 percent. Robinson-Regis said UNAIDS has predicted that the economic impact, including the loss of savings, labour supply, employment and rise in health care expenditures could be five percent of Gross Domestic Product by 2007.