Moldova to implement Global Commission on HIV recommendations

Moldova will be the first country to implement the recommendations of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law. Representatives of the Government, civil society members and international experts met in Chisinau agree on laws that protect human rights to save lives, save money and end the epidemic, UNDP Moldova said in a press release. Moldovan and international experts discussed how Moldovan law and its application can promote an effective AIDS response and adopt an action plan to ensure that the law works for people affected by HIV “We have much to learn from the positive and negative experiences in Moldova on the interactions between the law, legislative reform, law enforcement practices, and public health responses,” said Dr. Christoph Hamelmann, UNDP Regional Practice Leader on HIV, Health and Development, during the meeting. According to the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, punitive laws and human rights abuses are costing lives, wasting money and stifling the AIDS response. The epidemic is considered to be low prevalence with a concentrated HIV epidemic among injecting drug users and other most-at-risk populations.