Saturday, May 20, 2006
Government to expel AIDS patients
The Government is generously extending monetary aid to Africa in order to "make poverty history".
Well done.
But at the same time plans are being made to deport hundreds of HIV/AIDS sufferers back to Africa, where levels of the disease are already out of control and antiretroviral drugs are scarce.
In countries such as Nigeria, the Congo, Somalia, Sudan and Zimbabwe, where most of them are from, they will have no hope of medical treatment.
They will effectively be sent home to die.
The Terrence Higgins Trust says that if they were allowed to remain in Britain receiving antiretrovirals for five years then the treatment should by then be available in their home countries.
But the Government's position is that to allow them to remain on medical grounds is to risk Britain being flooded with so called "health tourists".
Well done.
But at the same time plans are being made to deport hundreds of HIV/AIDS sufferers back to Africa, where levels of the disease are already out of control and antiretroviral drugs are scarce.
In countries such as Nigeria, the Congo, Somalia, Sudan and Zimbabwe, where most of them are from, they will have no hope of medical treatment.
They will effectively be sent home to die.
The Terrence Higgins Trust says that if they were allowed to remain in Britain receiving antiretrovirals for five years then the treatment should by then be available in their home countries.
But the Government's position is that to allow them to remain on medical grounds is to risk Britain being flooded with so called "health tourists".
