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The international guidelines on HIV/AIDS and human rights : how are they being used and applied? An assessment of national responses in improving access to HIV/AIDS treatment within the framework of the International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Righ

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF AIDS SERVICE ORGANISATIONS (ICASO)
May 2002

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In 1996 ICASO issued guideline to member states to assist them in designing programmes and policies that protect and promote human rights in the context of confronting the AIDS pandemic. This publication is a report of a community research project trying to get a clear indication on how the process was progressing. The research focuses on acces to quality treatment, and the role that communities have played in improving that access. This report is based on the responses from 21 organisations in 15 of the 40 member countries. The main conclusions of the report are that the guidelines are a tool to advocate for improvements in the situation of HIV/AIDS; that the guidelines are not widely used by advocates and have not been incorporated into national legislation; anti-retrovirals are available but not accessible to the general popoulation (price being a key issue in this); and that even though prices of ARVs was high, this was not the only reason for the lack of ARVs in some countries (weak infrastructures also played a part). The report concludes with recommendations for further action

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