Page No 1 - World Federation of the Deaf

7.3.4. Does the situation of HIV/AIDS in your country affect Deaf women, men and children?
Country Does the situation of HIV/AIDS in your country affect Deaf women, men and children?
Costa Rica No Information
Cuba Yes
Dominican Republic No Information
El Salvador No
Guatemala No
Guyana No Information
Haiti Yes
Honduras No Information
Mexico No
Nicaragua No information
Panama No
Suriname No
Total 2 Yes (17%)
Country
Cuba
Haiti
Based on 12 respondents
If yes, please describe the situation with HIV/AIDS in the Deaf community in your country, including any
official statistics on the number of Deaf people living with HIV/AIDS.
Through the Ministry of Health (MINISAP) these people are offered free medical care and medicines. Services that
exist for the general population, such as access to different means of transportation (handled by the security
system) or social assistance, are also available to them according to normal procedures. In our country there are
no homeless people or discrimination.
Example: On 3 February 2008, for the first time in Haiti 71 Deaf-mutes (30 women and 41 men) were tested and
the following was found:
• Two (2) of the tests were positive (1 woman and 1 man)
• Sixty seven (67) of the tests were negative (28 women and 39 men)
• Two (2) were indefinite (1 woman and 1 man)
• 20 of the subjects were homosexual
• 17 of the subjects were prostitutes
• 38 of the subjects had more than one partner
The Ministry of Health subsequently instructed CAPPA-SOURDS-HAITI to work on awareness and identification of
Deaf people with HIV/AIDS.
The Project was under the auspices of the Swedish National Association of the Deaf (SDR) and the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), Page No 49
and funded by the Swedish Agency for International Development Cooperation (Sida) and Swedish Organisations’ of Disabled Persons
International Aid Association (Shia).