Global Voices Online

Stories

USA: One Step Closer to Lifting HIV Travel Ban

Juhie Bhatia · 23:11 · U.S.A.

lingua → fil · fr · zht · zhs · mk · bn · es

Standing Airplane Last week the U.S. government initiated the final steps required to lift long-standing travel and immigration restrictions imposed on HIV-positive foreigners.

Under the current ban HIV-positive foreigners, whether they're tourists or business travelers, can't enter the U.S., though in exceptional cases a waiver can be granted. The policy, which has been in place for more than 15 years, also prevents immigrants with HIV from becoming legal permanent residents. This is because the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) includes HIV as one of the “communicable diseases of public health significance” that bar people from entering the U.S. But last week the HHS issued proposed regulations that would remove HIV from this communicable diseases list.

Many activists and bloggers are applauding the move, since it kicks off the process to repeal the ban. For instance, Erin, blogging on an aspiring midwife, says:

“It took until 2009, but the government finally overturned one of the most blatantly discriminate laws legislated in the past twenty years.”

The first step to lift the ban was actually taken last July, when President George W. Bush signed a bill into law containing an amendment that would strike down the ban. But the prohibition stayed in place because HIV was still on the communicable disease list, allowing the U.S. government to stop those with HIV from entering the country. Last month, for example, HIV-positive British activist Paul Thorn was denied a visa when he tried to participate in a conference taking place in Seattle. This video provides more background of the ban.

While various countries around the world have some travel or immigration restrictions on those with HIV, the U.S. is one of a few countries with such a restrictive policy on simply entering the country. The blog DYM SUM elaborates:

“An interesting side note: only a dozen countries in the world, besides the United States, still have an HIV travel ban in place. They are Iraq, China, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Sudan, Qatar, Brunei, Oman, Moldova, Russia, Armenia, and South Korea. If you need to, read that list a second time, and think about what’s wrong there.”

In response to the news, bloggers have been sharing their experiences of trying to get into the U.S. or strategies they've heard can circumvent the travel ban. For example, The Evolution of Jeremiah, a blog from Canada, says:

“I never had a problem getting into the United States. Nobody asked me, and nobody needed to know. This will be good news to travelers world wide. Hopefully this will come into effect sooner than later.”

Bobito, commenting on a blog post on Queerty, explains other strategies that those with HIV have used:

“From what I've been told, if they [U.S. customs] find the antiviral medications in a traveler's luggage, they do not let the person leave the airport. There are ways to avoid this situation, such as mailing one's meds to a friend in America before you fly, and I think there are some HIV support organizations that provide some help in this, too.

I also read that, if they do a random luggage search and find antiviral meds, then they stamp HIV+ into the traveller's passport, making all future attempts to travel into countries that ban HIV+ visitors impossible, but I don't remember where I read.”

A report released in June by Human Rights Watch describes how these policies can have health consequences on HIV-positive migrants. The blog Empowerment for HIV Positive Migrants and Spouses, based in Malaysia, also discusses how these restrictions can be detrimental to those with HIV. It states:

“Misconception and prejudice on HIV due to lack of information still caused stigmatisation on PLHIV [People Living with HIV]. There is a trend for PLHIV who travels to countries with restrictions to stop their treatment [ART] to avoid entry ban. This step caused resistance to the treatment…

…All countries have to remember that all UN member states were signed on to the International Health Regulations which does not single out any diseases, including HIV. This regulation must be the baseline of advocacy for treatment provision in the country. Influential countries such as USA and China should take on the leadership on this regard and be a good role model for other countries when they actually eliminate the restrictions.”

Now that the HHS has posted their proposed regulations, there will be a 45 day public comment period that ends on August 17. If the regulations are adopted after the comment period, they will then need to be implemented. The final timeline for implementation isn't currently known, but some activists hope for something by the end of the year. The blog DYM SUM says everyone will benefit if the ban is repealed and the new regulations implemented.

“This has been a lesser issue of contention in some parts of the GLBTQ [gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning] community, but – without question – is equally important to other matters that need to be addressed. Of course, it goes without saying that lifting the HIV travel ban affects not only the GLBTQ community, but the entire world as well.”

Photo of Standing Airplane by Steven Fernandez on Flickr.

1 comment · read »

US-Russia: Rewinding the Russia reset

Vilhelm Konnander · 19:54 · Americas , Eastern & Central Europe

lingua → fr · es · zht · zhs · bn

Peace and sovereignty, democracy and human rights. Those were some of the issues at stake as US and Russian presidents Obama and Medvedev sat down in Moscow earlier this week to address the agenda of a troubled world, against the backdrop of global recession and climate change.

Even though expectations for a breakthrough in US-Russian relations had been downplayed ahead of Obama's meetings with President Medvedev - and Premier Putin - one would imagine that the very real issues at hand - nuclear disarmament, Afghanistan, Iran, sovereignty, democracy etc. - were to be widely debated in the blogosphere. Instead, reactions to the 6-8 July Moscow summit from the Russian blogosphere form a climate of anticlimax.

Barack Obama: Speech at the New Economic School - by Drugoi

Starting off from the Moscow horizon, the overall impression is exactly that Obama's visit was rendered a lukewarm reception by the Russian blogosphere, on either side of the political spectrum. As LJ user taranoff points out [RUS], in general, most people took little notice of the visit:

[…] If someone like Putin arrives in some town, then this town is sure to be scrubbed clean, shaped up, painted and polished. [—] And still, as Obama yesterday arrived in Moscow, it was as if - holey-moley - nothing could be noticed. […]

LJ user lamerkhav continues [RUS] along the same line:

[…] It is still not long ago that America was dearly loved in Russia. Behaviour towards the USA was like that of a young girl to her idol. The “cool States” was the ideal. Now times have changed. The attitude I've come across in media and blogs reminds me of a sour, lonely and old suitor, abandoned by everyone. I won't try to gather why it's like that. Apparently, not out of unanswered love, but generally because mentality is like that. […]

Characterizing the essence of the summit, LJ user Nevzlin addresses [RUS] renewed Cold War sentiments - disarmament and Human Rights - and perceives differences in Obama's attitude towards Medvedev and Putin:

[…] Generally, it was like colder times at the conference table - the fate of political prisoners and arms control. [—] From the outset, Obama typically split up Medvedev and Putin: Some praise and some critique. He said that Medvedev pulls ahead and Putin holds back. […]

LJ user Yakushev continues with [RUS] the domestic political ramifications of the summit, speculating on a US-inspired Medvedev-Putin division into liberal and conservative camps:

[…] What was the essence of Obama's visit to Moscow? I imagine it as if Obama signalled to the liberal part of the Russian élite to go on the offensive. As it appears, Obama came to engage himself into Russian domestic politics. Already before the American president's visit, he made it clear who the USA supports in Russia, having promised Putin not to disturb his and Medvedev's progress. As no official reply was given to this ordinary American insolence, one can conclude that the Kremlin agrees with Obama. […]

Not even when it comes to President Obama's meeting with Russian opposition representatives, it seems to please Russian bloggers. Thus, LJ user v milov - an opposition supporter - writes [RUS]:

[…] Obama's meeting with the opposition turned into true comedy. It's great that Nemtsov and Kasparov were invited from our side - but that's also all the good news there were. Further on the list were Mitrokhin, Gozman and Zyuganov. The State Department stands with one foot in the past. :) But seriously, a meeting with such a gathering is a flat puncture for those on the American side who prepared the visit. In such meetings, the real opposition must take part and not hopeless figures from the past. […]

Turning to the very real issues agreed upon by Medvedev and Obama within the sphere of security policy - as e.g. nuclear arms' reduction and Afghanistan - LJ user malkolms writes [RUS]:

[…] How is it possible to sign anything with the USA (especially concerning such important issues as the START-agreement) when the USA demonstratively [XXX] Russia in the [XXX]. In my view, it is simply degrading to start any dialogue with the USA without lifting the Jackson-Vanik amendment. And especially if signing such documents is unfavourable to Russia. The USA once again “sinks” us as was always the case during Yeltsin and Clinton. […]

What about the Russian reset then? LJ user optimist presents his views on the credibility of Washington's policy towards Moscow:

[…] In my view, the word reset doesn't mean anything in real political terms. It is a word of deception, the usual soap bubble [—]. It appears on all our screens and means nothing new, but a return to the past, to business as usual. And previously, our relations with the Americans were either one of confrontation or domination - on their part, by the way. So, what will we be returning to after a “reset”? [—] Aren't they just fooling us as usual… […]

What stands out, from these and similar comments, is how little significance is given to the outcome of the US-Russian summit. It is like simply going through the motions, whereas the real issues at hand seem to be of little consequence. So, judging from Russian blogger reactions, the Moscow 2009 Obama-Medvedev summit could hardly be seen as a reset in US-Russian relations. The question is: Was it even rapproachement?

Pictures, if not otherwise indicated, from america.gov/ru.

2 comments · read »

Arab World: Swine Flu Fever Continues

Amira Al Hussaini · 13:18 · Middle East & North Africa

lingua → fr · zhs · zht · es · it · bn · sw

Swine flu or H1N1 is still making headlines across the Arab world as new cases continue to be discovered by health authorities and announced in the Press on a daily basis.

In Bahrain, Silly Bahraini Girl (which is me) is back home and surprised at what she saw at her country's airport:

Reality of how mad this place has become smacks you in the face the second you land at the Bahrain
International Airport and see all the ground staff wearing surgical masks, from the ground handling staff to the immigration and customs officers. “What's wrong with you?” I ask them. “Is there a plague in Bahrain?” I continue questioning […] the situation seemed tense and and the level of swine madness was certainly the highest I have come across everywhere I have travelled through since pig mania gripped Planet Earth. Why wasn't there a single person wearing a mask at the airports of San Francisco, Chicago, Toronto and Heathrow which I have travelled
through over the past few weeks?

Still in Bahrain, Sohail Al Gosaibi smells a conspiracy in the air, noting that exaggerating the effect of swine flu benefits the media, advertising and pharmaceutical industries. The Saudi blogger writes:

The media almost always exaggerate the situation, remember that fears sells. And newspapers and news channels have to sell advertising space and airtime to make money, and the more shocking and scary their stories, the more viewers and readers they have, which leads to more
advertisers, and more profits.

Al Gosaibi also quotes an article he has read and concludes:

According to the article, the US and UK governments have billions of dollars worth of Tamifluiflu stock that they must use within the next few months, or they’ll expire. Interesting, huh?

And speaking of theories, Jordan Reform Watch also has something up his sleeve and writes:

Ahhh..The swine-flu with all the accompanying conspiracy theories..A Jordanian “Scientist” specializing in diseases claims that Mecca And Medina are somehow isolated from disease, thus there is no need for the talk about the possible outbreaks that might result from the millions of pilgrims being in extreme proximity while performing Hajj..

Kill them Pigs..Go To hajj..You will be disease free..

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia, who blogs at Egyptian Chronicles, is also concerned about how the disease will spread during the Hajj [annual Muslim pilgrimage season to Mecca], where millions of pilgrims from around the world converge to Mecca to perform the ritual. She notes:

the discussion about the future of Pilgrimage “Hij” and Omra [smaller pilgrimage] this year is still debatable. The minister of health wants to cancel Omra where as the minister of tourism is against the cancellation , I do not need to speak about Pilgrimage.
Of course the debate is much hotter among the clerics themselves. Saudi Arabia understands the challenge it is facing already and decided to deal with the situation as much as it can in the Omra and pilgrimage , it recommends that pregenant women , elderly and kids to avoid pilgrimage this year , I really respect this move.
I also have a better suggestion. In such circumstances why not to limit Omra and pilgrimage for the first time pilgrims only from men and women

Our final stop is in Syria, where blogger Yaser Arwani [ar] links to a news story which says that Syria's first swine flu case was recently reported in a Syrian doctor, who works in Australia and was on a visit to her country. The female doctor travelled to Syria through Dubai International Airport and the disease was not detected until a few days after her arrival.

0 comments · read »