HCW and PLHIV commit to safeguard health related human rights through documentation and reporting.

Health Care Workers (HCW) and People Living with HIV (PLHIV) committed to safeguard health related human rights by championing health rights, documenting and reporting violations whenever they occur. This was during a two-day training conducted by KELIN, with the support of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and AIDS Rights Alliance of Southern Africa (ARASA), on 11-12 March 2016.

The training brought together 35 HCWs and PLHIVs and equipped participants with skills and knowledge on:

  • The right to health as provided for in the Kenyan Constitution and other international treaties;
  • Using an online monitoring tool to document & evaluate health human rights violations of PLHIV, key and vulnerable populations;
  • Constitutional guarantees on the rights to health and possible cases of violations of rights of PLHIV, key and vulnerable populations;
  • The importance of reporting and following up for purposes of litigation on violations of health related human rights.

Among the issues discussed during the training included the current HIV landscape in Kenya with particular focus on prevention, treatment, care and support.

Participants were taken through punitive laws and their implication to HIV, AIDS and TB response in Kenya. It also included human rights and the relevant Constitutional provisions.  Participants shared experiences on real life health-related human rights violations. They also formulated scenarios and role-plays related to these violations.

The resonating message focused on the role that every stakeholder plays in ensuring that health human rights of PLHIV, key and vulnerable populations are recognized, respected, and promoted. In addition, the complementing roles of institutions and stakeholders were reemphasized.

It was agreed that the HCW and PLHIV would champion reporting and documenting violations, in addition to popularizing the use of the online platform. KELIN committed to follow up on all cases reported, and facilitate access to justice for the affected persons.

To contribute to the discussions on this forum follow KELIN on our social media platforms use the hashtag: #Justice2Health

 

For more information contact:

Lucy Ghati

Programme Manager HIV &TB

Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN)
4th Floor, Somak Building, Mombasa Road
PO Box 112-00200, KNH
Email: lghati@kelinkenya.org
Mobile No: +254 790 487473

Twitter: @KELINkenya
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kelinkenya

Website: www.kelinkenya.org