Myth: disabled people cannot get HIV or AIDS
All over the world, six hundred million people are being excluded from the fight against HIV&AIDS simply because they have disabilities. The recently started DCDD working group HIV&AIDS wants to make a difference. The working group will focus on increased awareness about HIV&AIDS and disability in organisations operating in the field of disability and development cooperation.
Equal or greater risks
People with disabilities are at equal or greater risk of HIV infection, compared to their non-disabled peers. Persons with disabilities are three times more likely to have several sexual partners in a series of unstable relationships. Disabled women, men and children are more likely to be victims of sexual violence and rape.
Poor access
Persons with disabilities have poor access to HIV&AIDS information and services. Only 2% of children with disabilities receive an education. They miss out on school based HIV&AIDS education programmes. Low literacy rates among disabled adults and difficulty with access to mass media messages for those with hearing or visual impairments present real challenges to information outreach. Access to HIV testing, care, medication and support is limited due to social and economic obstacles, problems of physical access, prejudicial attitudes towards persons with disabilities and misconceptions that they are not sexually active.
Left out
There is a growing international attention to the rights of persons with disabilities. However, they are left out of HIV&AIDS policies and programming. Governments and policy makers rarely consider disability issues when formulating their HIV&AIDS strategic plans.
DCDD working group
The recently started working group HIV&AIDS wants to make a difference. The UN system, AIDS donors, non-governmental organizations, AIDS services organizations, the private sector and disabled people’s organizations all should play their role.
The first focus of the working group is to create awareness about the issue HIV&AIDS and disability within the Dutch Ministry, development-, disability-, and HIV&AIDS -organisations. Secondly it wants to provide these stakeholders of tools and methods on how to include people with disabilities in their HIV&AIDS programmes. Different advocacy activities will be undertaken: the working group will publish a flyer and a brochure, disseminate good practices and organise workshops.