OSIEA Helping Make Legal Services Part of HIV/AIDS Response

OSIEA and LAHI are working to assist health advocates to integrate legal services into HIV/AIDS programs.  Increased HIV prevention and treatment programs are giving hope to millions of people living with AIDS in East Africa. But what if a person is evicted from her home for being HIV-positive, or unlawfully stripped of her property on the death of her spouse?  What if a child born to HIV-positive parents is kicked out of school? Criminalization of sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who use drugs contribute to high levels of police harassment and violence,  driving these vulnerable groups away from much-needed HIV services.

Women and girls are often subjected to domestic violence or sexual exploitation, which raises their risk of HIV infection. People whose rights are violated face slow and corrupt courts, expensive legal fees, and traditional authorities often unaware of or unwilling to apply the law.  With OSIEA/LAHI assistance, ten hospitals in Kenya now integrate legal services into their HIV treatment.  Additionally, legal assistance programs are being introduced into post-rape care centers and domestic violence programs in Kenya and Uganda.  We are also fostering discussions around hotly contested issues, such as the criminalization of HIV transmission and model AIDS laws that are being enacted in Africa.