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Legalise Gay Unions,
Says Aids Researcher
30 Apr 2007- Kenya- Gay
relationships should be legalised as a measure to control the spread of
HIV/Aids.
Chief Executive Officer of the
South African based Human Sciences Research Council, Prof Olive Shisana,
told an international conference on HIV/Aids that failure by Governments
in Africa to legalise the relationships has adversely contributed to the
spread of the disease.
She explained that those who
practised the behaviour did it secretly since it was illegal thereby
failing to observe preventive measures.
"Statistics have revealed that gay
relationships stood in the way of efforts to check the spread of
HIV/Aids," Shisana said in a key address.
Said she: "We should be ready to
end taboos related to men who have sex with same-sex partners."
Shisana spoke during the first day
of the fourth edition of the Sahara International Conference on the
social aspects of HIV/Aids at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu, on
Monday.
The conference, held in the
Lakeside town for the first time, has brought together more than 5,000
participants drawn from all over the world.
Shisana pointed out that African
governments needed to accept that gay relationships existed and could
not be stopped.
"Why do Africans deny this gay
relationships are a reality and they should be allowed," she added.
She noted that countries that
legalised gay relationships had recorded positive progress in curbing
the spread of the epidemic.
Shisana pointed out that failure by
some communities to circumcise men and wife inheritance were major
factors that frustrated efforts to fight the disease.
She explained that despite most
African countries setting targets for reduction of HIV/Aids prevalence,
most of them had failed to achieve the goals.
"We recognise commitment by most
African Governments to reduce HIV/Aids prevalence rate by setting
targets, but it is a pity that most of them do not achieve these." she
explained.
She said that research by United
Nations revealed that Uganda and Zimbabwe were among African countries
that almost achieved such targets.
She added that women and children
hardly access HIV/Aids treatment in the continent.
"Namibia is leading in provision of
treatment to women and children," she added.
She noted that 25 per cent of women
and children in the country had access to such treatment and Botswana
led in provision of anti-retroviral drugs to the infected.
She expressed concern over failure
by the Government to address the plight of children orphaned by
HIV/Aids. "Most countries have ignored orphans and left them to be
exploited by inhuman individuals or institutions," she added.
As a result, she said, most of the
orphans resorted to crime to earn a living.
"Effects of HIV/Aids go beyond
health hazards. It is to blame for escalating crime," she pointed out.
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