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Call for compulsory testing of HIV/Aids

Professor Frank N Judson from the University of Colorado, Denver, US, while speaking to Khaleej Times on sidelines of the two-day Joint Congress of the 15^th International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI) and 2^nd Annual International Infectious Diseases Congress being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre said, “The UAE’s traditional society and the fear of immediate deportation may have prevented people from opting for voluntary counselling and testing (VCT).

“It’s also important for countries to adopt national strategies to tackle the disease,” he explained after delivering a session on “HIV/AIDS after three decades: Lessons learnt from the USA”.

He said, “Laws to prevent spread of disease don’t work if you have a traditional society. But ethically, no one has a right to expose anyone else to any kind of deadly viral disease.”

Prof Judson, who has also worked with World Health Organisation (WHO) in the 1990’s, said that disease reporting from this part of the world at that time remained poor. “Sporadic incidents were reported to the WHO at that time through hospitals and clinics, but overall the reportage was unsubstantial,” he pointed out.

The event at Dubai was inaugurated by Khaled Al Shaikh, deputy director, Finance and Administration, Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

Professor Angelika Stary, president of IUSTI said in the opening statement, “Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) affect people of all ages, backgrounds and from all parts of the world. However, individuals at risk have become less frightened and physicians and public health institutions are less aware of lifetime consequences of STIs, especially HIV, she added.

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