Australia's previously successful partnership between government, clinicians, civil society and HIV-affected communities is “at risk of defragmenting” if Australia’s Prime Minister continues to make statements that “cast doubt on Australia’s commitment to reduce stigma and discrimination”. So claimed two of the world’s leading HIV and clinicians, International AIDS Society (IAS) conference co-chair, Professor David Cooper, and IAS president, Dr Pedro Cahn, during the Sunday night opening session of the 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Sydney.
Unlike recent International AIDS Conferences – which have attracted celebrities and world-class politicians as well as the world’s mainstream media – the three previous IAS conferences, which fill the gap between the biannual international conferences, have tended to focus solely on the science of HIV.
However, last month, Prime Minister John Howard declared that HIV-positive people should be banned from entering Australia. The IAS immediately responded with a strong statement noting that Howard’s comments were “a blatant disregard of basic human rights, and only serve to compound current HIV prevention and treatment efforts.
Tonight, in the presence of Howard’s Minister of Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, and the New South Wales Minister for Health, Reba Meagher, the IAS made it clear that “neither the scientific community, nor the Australian people support” John Howard’s statements.
Dr Cahn noted that, “Australia taught the rest of the world about how collaboration between government, science and community could achieve a long-lasting impact on this epidemic.”
Professor Cooper added that this “partnership is at risk of defragmenting” in the current political climate.
Neither named Howard personally, but rather alluded to, “recent statements by high governmental authorities”.
“We stand united with the local global AIDS community to ensure that people with HIV have the right to travel without harassment or the requirement to disclose their HIV status,” said Dr Cahn.
“Epidemics are not stopped by immigration officers,” Dr Cahn proclaimed to enthusiastic applause from the delegates. “We are confronting HIV, not people living with HIV.”
To illustrate Dr Cahn’s point, many conference volunteers – including those who escorted the two government officials to their seats in the auditorium – were proudly sporting official IAS T-shirts that read: ‘Stop HIV. Not people living with HIV. People with HIV have the right to travel.”
Tony Abbott began his speech by joking about how much money the Australian government had provided to allow the IAS to hold their conference here.
His tone became more serious when he noted that “none of our visitors here have had to undergo [HIV] testing. I’m very pleased it’s the case,” he added to lukewarm applause, “and so it should remain.”
However, he stressed that “permanent residents of Australia have always required [HIV] testing” and claimed that this policy was not about discrimination. “We want to help people, not judge them,” he said, “we want to treat people, not quarantine them.”
He noted that “AIDS remains a serious public health issue” in Australia, adding that in recent years there had been “a significant increase in new HIV notifications.” However, he applauded the “extraordinary sense of responsibility of at-risk groups whose leaders have counselled against risk-taking behaviour.”
Reba Meagher primarily focused on New South Wales' "early and energetic" response to HIV, but she noted that "behaviour change [is] just one part of the picture". She ended by welcoming the delegates on the behalf of the New South Wales government, and wishing them "a challenging, engaging and rewarding conference."
It was clear from the remarks of the three men that preceded her to the podium that some of the challenges at this primarily scientific conference require understanding the nature of political "behaviour change".