Authorities in at least one UAE prison have segregated the non-Emirati detainees with human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) from the rest of the prison population and denied them regular access to lifesaving treatment, a prominent human rights organization said on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th November, 2019) Authorities in at least one UAE prison have segregated the non-Emirati detainees with human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) from the rest of the prison population and denied them regular access to lifesaving treatment, a prominent human rights organization said on Monday.According to testimonies received by Human Rights Watch from former prisoners in the United Arab Emirates, non-Emirati detainees get tested for HIV every three to six months, unlike the local detainees held in the same prison. If found HIV-positive, people reportedly get segregated from the other prisoners and put in solitary confinement, which is the case in at least two prisons: Al Sadr in Abu Dhabi and Al Awir in Dubai.
Because of the lack of knowledge about HIV, prison staff are often scared to talk to detainees or enter their cells without wearing masks, gloves and glasses, one of the former detainees said. According to the watchdog, this leads to the HIV-positive detainees facing stigma and systemic discrimination. What is more, the HIV-positive detainees are often left for months without any medication - such interruptions in treatment might develop resistance of pathogen viruses.
"The UAE has an obligation to provide health care, including antiretroviral medicines, to all prisoners in their custody without discrimination. Denying, delaying, and interrupting treatment for HIV for non-national prisoners is a flagrant violation of the right to health and potentially the right to life," Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said.
The watchdog emphasized that while the UAE authorities claim to ensure free HIV treatment and care programs to all UAE residents, including non-Emirati ones, in practice, people with HIV and other communicable diseases are often denied residency permit and work visas to come to the Emirates or are deported if they test positive upon arrival.
The World Health Organization estimated some 37.9 million people to live with HIV worldwide in 2018. The number of HIV-related fatalities has been steadily declining since the outbreak in 2000, and the UN-set target under the Sustainable Development Agenda is to bring the annual number of deaths down to below 400,000 by 2030.
