Mitsotakis at the Association of HIV-positive people of Greece “Positive Voice”: “I am glad that we passed the anti-discrimination law”

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The Prime Minister held an open discussion with people living with HIV, after first being guided around the premises of the Association

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis paid a visit to the offices of the HIV positive association of Greece “Positive Voice” this morning, on the occasion of World AIDS Day. The prime minister held an open discussion with people living with HIV, after first being guided around the premises by the president of “Positive Voice” Nikos Dede and talking to the workers. The progress that has been made to date both at the health and social level, but also those that still need to be made, were put on the discussion table.

“I had become particularly aware since the time I had visited you as the leader of the opposition. I thought that we really have the potential to cover the ground lost by other European countries and to make a series of moves here as well that could increase, as you say, the visibility of what it means to live with the virus today. Mainly to deal with prejudice and stigma. To inform the public of the enormous progress of science in the matter of treatment. And of course I’m especially happy because we were able to and we passed – for me the most important initiative – the anti-discrimination law. No one should be obliged to give any information about whether or not they are positive for the virus. And of course, an issue that had concerned us a year ago when we were in Maximos and I was convinced that indeed PrEP treatment is absolutely necessary to be able to further reduce new cases of HIV infections”, noted the Prime Minister.

“Our generation came of age with HIV. Then hovering over us the specter of a disease which was fatal. And this greatly changed our own attitudes and our own perception around the issues of sexual contacts. The next generation fortunately does not have this burden on them. Nevertheless, I am very proud of the fact that we have finally been able to introduce sex education in our schools – both in primary and secondary schools, with the aim of extending it to all classes. To be able to speak more freely about these issues. Let’s deal with these issues from an early age, without prejudices, because the limitation of discrimination in the next generation will be built on the information our children will have from school” added Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

“The most important thing from our side, as we speak today, is the law that prohibits discrimination in the workplace. It is what you had highlighted then the last time we met in 2018. The other very important of course is (treatment) PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis), which will now greatly facilitate the treatment of HIV and of course anything on the one hand, it helps to remove inequalities and discrimination that combats stigma, the fact that now HIV-positive people who want to start a family can also adopt children, and thanks to assisted reproduction, they can do so. The other very important thing that was also recently passed is that within the framework of the prison law, the granting of a temporary AMKA was foreseen, so that everyone who is inside the prisons can have access to health services”, said the president of “Positive Voice” Nikos Dede.

“The virus no longer kills. The way science has progressed, it’s a very serious virus, but we live off the virus. We are dying from stigma, we are dying from isolation”, noted Spyros, dancer, graduate of the National Opera and Law School, who currently works at “Positive Voice”.

Mitsotakis

“First of all, I thank you for having the courage to speak publicly. Because in itself this public participation in an effort to convince, not so much those who have the virus to share their stories with us – because some may not want to and that is perfectly legitimate – but to explain to the whole society the basic facts of science. That’s what we’re trying to do today. This is no different from what we tried to do during the pandemic,” replied the prime minister.

“Thank you that during your term of office you have shown the sensitivity to advance the issue of adoptions and with the recent reforms of the in vitro fertilization law, we who live with HIV can also have a child. To have our own family. To live as we should, with dignity. Although laws are passed, society has not progressed. There are many obstacles. How can I become a mother when there is no unit that will accept me because I am HIV-positive?’ Dimitra stated through her letter, which was read by Constantina, a “Positive Voice” employee, as she did not attend the discussion, fearing social exclusion in case she disclosed her situation.

“We will need to fight harder to eliminate the stigma. Much more still. The fact that it is the other side, that is, the people who understand the reality and are not willing to come out and talk about their problem because they still know the real social facts. And this is a decision that must be absolutely respected and that is why we are enshrining it in legislation,” commented Mr. Mitsotakis.

“I was lucky that it happened while I was serving, because if it had happened at a younger age I wouldn’t have been able to get into the school, because the police academy excludes people who are HIV positive. And being permanent and with the diagnosis I was demoted to office duty, although the treatment and all my health is very good and I could be fighting again on the street,” noted Konstantinos, a police officer by profession, who was diagnosed positive for the virus of HIV while serving as a combatant in Kefalonia. Konstantinos had also sent a letter to the prime minister.

He then presented his story, the 23-year-old Ekpe who at the age of 15 lost both his parents to a bomb explosion in a Catholic church in Nigeria and found himself as an unaccompanied immigrant, through Turkey to Greece where he was granted asylum.

“Thank you for sharing your story. We’re glad it ended well. I can’t imagine how you would feel, being in Moria with HIV, vulnerable. The good thing is that Moria is no more. And in places like this we have modern facilities, clean, decent, with the right services for everyone. And temporary, because one thing we managed to do was to significantly speed up the asylum granting process”, noted Mr. Mitsotakis.

“This place, president, began as a place of martyrdom. We lost people, a lot of pain, repression. But it has evolved into a place of victory. You’ve contributed, we’ve contributed, we’ve still got things to do, but it’s a good example of people going above and beyond their lives and claiming it. The global motto this year is “equal lives” and I think that can and will be fulfilled when your report on equality becomes 100%”, emphasized the communication consultant of “Positive Voice” Grigoris Vallianatos.

In the discussion, which was also attended by the head of the economic office of the Prime Minister Alexis Patelis, a video entitled “I’m Positive” of the annual campaign of the same name of “Positive Voice” with Stegi Onassis was shown, while the data of a public opinion survey were also presented about knowledge, opinions and attitudes about HIV infection in Greece.

According to information, in order to eliminate the social discrimination, the “stigma”, that HIV-positive citizens have been facing for years, the government has taken care of protecting their equal rights and addressing entrenched inequalities.

In this context, last year on this day two amendments were voted by the parliament, for the full inclusion of antiretroviral drugs in the immaterial and electronic prescription and the possibility of taking them from people who have been diagnosed with HIV and hepatitis B, as long as they faithfully follow their treatment.

At the same time, the possibility of assisted reproduction is now given to HIV-positive people. Specifically, it is planned to establish a unit purely for the medically assisted reproduction of our HIV-positive fellow citizens at the “Attikon” hospital, which will include a Cryopreservation bank.

Also, last week, in the context of the newest insurance law of the Ministry of Labor, any discrimination against our HIV-positive fellow citizens in employment, both in the recruitment phase and in the work phase, was expressly prohibited.

On the prevention front, it is now legislated to provide prophylactic antiretroviral drugs (PrEP) to HIV-vulnerable groups, a widespread practice internationally to protect public health. The ministerial decision that will determine the terms and conditions under which this will be granted will not be issued soon.

At the same time, protection from the HIV virus and other sexually transmitted diseases is part of the sexual education taught to students in the context of skills workshops in the 3rd grade, 6th grade and 2nd high school.

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