Round table

A PANCAP/GIZ/EPOS Project

MELBOURNE21st of July 2014

Robert CAZAL-GAMELSY (PANCAP/GIZ/EPOS)

Evidences for necessary legislation/policy modifications for improving Migrants’ access to HIV services in the Caribbean

Most countries• Institutional Discrimination against migrants in Health/HIV services We should counter this “official” discrimination• Have signed Intl. legislations & treaties having impact on access they now need to be ratified and translated into domestic law• Demand the presentation of ID/NHI card to use health services this obligation should be removed for the use of HIV services• Limit the concept of Univ. Access to nationals & regular migrants UA to HIV services should be truly Universal with no exclusion

Critical Findings & recommendations

In most previous British colonies• Still remain punitive laws criminalizing sex work and buggery thus

preventing vulnerable migrants from accessing services This laws should be modified/removed

• Trinidad & Tobago and Bahamas define HIV as an infectious disease, therefore a PLWH may be prevented from the entering the State,

HIV should be removed from the infectious disease list

In Dutch islands/territories • European Intellectual Property rules related to drugs create barriers for

undocumented /uninsured migrants to access ARV treatments Rules should be changes to authorize this territories to get generics

Critical Findings & recommendations

In the Caribbean region the project is

Encouraging the countries to adopt the regional PANCAP Model Anti-discrimination Legislation

Developing an amendment to the regional PANCAP Model Legislation to strengthen access of vulnerable migrants to HIV services

Developing training modules and conducting trainings on Human Rights, cultural sensitivity and stigma and discrimination against migrants in the six countries

Current response

Suriname is Including HIV in the Law on Venereal Diseases to allow an institutional

free and universal access to HIV services

Trinidad & Tobago The Caribbean Court of Justice has given a litigant leave to challenge T&T’s

immigration law that prohibits entry of homosexual persons into the jurisdiction

Sint Maarten is working to adopt Rules authorising the importation of generic ARVs Universal Access principle

Current response

Challenges There is a need for a paradigm shift from exclusion to inclusion Vulnerable migrants are often “invisible” which contributes to their

vulnerability with regard to HIV and poor access to services

Conclusions Migrants are an underserved vulnerable population in the Caribbean The 90-90-90 by 2020 is only possible if we take care of all regardless

of their immigration status => NOBODY should be LEFT BEHIND It is now time to adopt

• The regional antidiscrimination legislations• A Universal-Access policy that are truly Universal

In a nutshell

Many Thanks NOBODY LEFT BEHINDNOBODY LEFT BEHIND