 |
 Group Worries About Rights of Children as Kenya Plans In-Home Tests for H.I.V.
Kenya has plans to test four million people in their homes next year for H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, and the advocacy group Human Rights Watch recently sent the Kenyan government a letter asking that it ensure that all those tested — particularly children and teenagers — have their rights protected during the process.
About 150,000 children are believed to be infected in Kenya, which has a widespread epidemic.
Offering tests and counseling at home is seen as crucial because many people cannot be persuaded to go to a clinic for testing for fear of being seen there.
But testing children at home can create serious family problems. The rights group asked that outreach workers obtain the consent of older children rather than relying on demands from parents or other relatives, especially if the child is pregnant or already a parent, and also that they stay nearby when results are given
“In the past,” the group said, “children have been kicked out of their home, exploited or physically ill-treated by their relatives when their status became known.
”
A report about Kenya’s epidemic, which the organization issued last year, painted a grim picture. Orphans are often treated badly or fed little by resentful relatives who take them in.
Some parents refuse to give children antiretroviral pills, even when they are in the home, because they can cause nausea, pain or hunger, while food is scarce and expensive.
(2009/12/29-New York Times) |
首頁 
聯絡我們
