HIV response under lens of indigenous rights
SHOBHA SHUKLA - CNS
Indigenous rights are human rights - critical for health and development justice
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It is alarming to note that as per UNAIDS data the annual number of new HIV infections in the Latin American countries increased by 9% between 2010 and 2023, despite the advent of powerful new prevention tools like PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).
High HIV prevalence has been reported among non-migrating afro-descendant and indigenous populations in some countries, including Brazil, where the prevalence of HIV among afro-descendant women is two times higher than in the overall female population, and Guatemala, where HIV prevalence among afro-descendant Garifuna indigenous populations is estimated to be five times higher (1%) than general population (0.2%).
High HIV prevalence has been reported among indigenous communities in Venezuela (Warao) (9.6%), Peru (Chayahuita) (7.5%), and Colombia (Wayuu women) (7.0%), with factors including geographical, linguistic and social inequity barriers affecting access to services for Indigenous people.
The issues and concerns plaguing them were highlighted at the 5th Conference on HIV Research For Prevention (HIVR4P) held recently in Lima, Peru. Representatives of Indigenous people from the Latin American, Central American, and Caribbean Coalition of Indigenous Peoples in Response to HIV and AIDS not only shared the challenges, vulnerabilities, and inequalities faced by Indigenous peoples in the LAC (Latin American Countries) region, but also proposed transformative, just, and equitable solutions to move forward together for ending AIDS by 2030.
Here are some takeaways from this interaction with Roberto Orellana from Guatemala, Williams Morales from Chile, Fernando Chujutalli from Peru and Jose' Montano Ferrel from Bolivia:
Forty years into the HIV epidemic
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