Brussels, 16/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - The decision by the Greek health minister, Adonis Georgiadis, to reintroduce a measure that will allow the police to have forced HIV and compulsory health tests carried out on groups of people deemed to be at risk, has created controversy, particularly at the NGOs Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Doctors of the World. HRW said that this law “violated human rights and stigmatised vulnerable groups” and Doctors of the World added that this regulation “is in conflict with the recommendations made by international public health specialists and human rights organisations”.
Georgiadis was appointed minister for health following a government reshuffle on 25 June. He is a member of the New Democracy party and former spokesman for the extreme right LAOS organisation. On 26 June, after taking up his post, Georgiadis reintroduced a measure initially adopted in April 2012 by Socialist, Andreas Loverdos. This measure was annulled in April 2013. During the year of its application, police were allowed to arrest prostitutes, drug addicts and immigrants and submit them to HIV tests and screening measures for other diseases. From May 2012, Amnesty International called on the Greek government to end this measure, which it said was stigmatising prostitutes. Health organisations have criticised and condemned the reintroduction of the decree. Doctors of the World said that the Greek health minister would be better off tackling the root causes of disease, poverty and addiction. They are calling on the Greek government to focus on the country's major public health problems, such as the universal right of children to vaccination, which is no longer guaranteed in Greece. Speaking on behalf of HRW, Judith Sutherland said: “It's deeply worrying that it took the new health minister only one day to bring back a regulation that violated human rights”. “If the government is serious about addressing HIV and other infectious diseases, it should focus on access to health care and public information”, she added.
The Greek public health system has faced enormous pressure since the crisis and austerity measures resulting from it. The number of people carrying the AIDS virus has also sharply increased since 2000, particularly since the beginning of the crisis, which has led to the pauperisation of a section of the population, particularly socially deprived groups. According to the Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, (Keelpno), AIDS virus infections increased by 22% between 2011 and 2012 and by 58% between 2010 and 2011. (IL/transl.fl)