By Claudio Garibotto
This Thursday saw the regional launch of the Global Alliance of actions aimed at eliminating all forms of stigma and discrimination related to HIV . The event, organized by the Network of Women Sex Workers of Latin America and the Caribbean (RedTraSex) and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV / AIDS (UNAIDS) , began at 4:00 p.m. , was held virtually with English translation and Portuguese, and counted with the participation and testimonies, among others, of the Director of Response to HIV, STIs, Viral Hepatitis and Tuberculosis, Cecilia Santamaría ; the coordinator of the Global Alliance for LAC, Elena Eva Reynaga; the regional coordinator of RedLacTrans, Marcela Romero ; the member of the Buenos Aires Network of People Living with HIV, Marcela Alsina ; the regional director of UNAIDS LAC, César Antonio Núñez ; and the Minister of State for Health and Welfare of Jamaica, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn .
The coordinator of the event was Javier Hourcade Bellocq , one of the founders and the first Regional Secretary of the Latin American Network of People Living with HIV (RedLa +), and who at the beginning of the meeting remarked “that this launch has the greatest importance of putting in agenda a very sensitive issue”. He immediately gave the floor to the first speaker, César Nuñez, who said that “from UNAIDS we support this initiative because today 12 million people still do not have treatment and are living with HIV, so it is also a global pandemic. And that number has not decreased in recent years. So we still have a lot to do. And among those who suffer stigma and discrimination, women sex workers are the most affected.
This was followed by the testimony of Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn. The minister was happy to be able to participate in such an "important" event, and she took care to emphasize that "we must all take care that there is no more discrimination. There are a large number of people who feel ashamed of having the disease and are afraid to make their status known, because they suffer discrimination, bullying and even episodes of violence ”. She also stressed her total willingness to work on the matter, and was hopeful "in what we can all achieve together."
Marcela Romero, in turn, focused on reflecting on how discrimination affects the trans community, stating that 35% of the group suffers from HIV. “There are no programs to accompany and include these people. And everything that is lived is very difficult. When trans women want to access a job, for example, they are discriminated against. And there is no gender identity law either. And the coronavirus pandemic exposed much more everything, since without rights there is no access to anything. On a daily basis, we were not allowed into supermarkets when we wanted to shop. But in addition to that clear discrimination in these months we do not receive any bonuses, for example. The State did not include us in anything ”.
Cecilia Santamaria, Director of Response to HIV, STIs, Viral Hepatitis and Tuberculosis, was the next speaker. In the first place, she excused the Minister of Health, Ginés González García, who "could not be present due to pandemic issues" that she had to deal with. Then, he marked as "one of the achievements in recent years the opening of the Diversity Clinics, which are inclusive and friendly." Although he also said that there are things that must continue to work: "One of the greatest responsibility that we have pending as a State is that all people can access the necessary medication."
Marcela Alsina took up that issue and said that “a lot of progress was made in relation to medicines, but in terms of discrimination, everything changed very little. It is a huge job to do, but you have to face it. And it is necessary for the Government to put it on the agenda ”.
Elena Eva Reynaga, finally, remarked that "education is essential to lose the fear of HIV, which is what causes discrimination." He also said that “everything that we have today in terms of rights throughout the region is the result of the struggle we gave. Now is the time for young men and women, who have tools and progressive governments to keep moving forward. They have to fall in love with the cause. Learn from us, we have experience and can help. Don't put us aside ”. And he concluded: "We want a dignified life, without stigma or discrimination."