UNAIDS: The First 10 Years

UNAIDS The First 10 Years16international, to control AIDS’, Mann stressed to the meeting of Participating Parties inApril 1988 21 . Although GPA had played a major role in dispelling some of the myths aroundthe casual transmission of HIV, many countries had passed repressive and discriminatorylegislation on AIDS. The President of the German Federal Court of Justice announcedthat it might become necessary to tattoo or quarantine seropositive people but this wasnever enacted. In Germany, all applicants for extended residency permits in Bavaria wererequired to undergo HIV tests. In China and India, HIV testing was mandatory for allforeigners entering for over one year and all returning citizens. The US Senate votedunanimously to mandate HIV tests for all individuals applying for legal immigration.Many countries in South and South-East Asia copied these examples 22 .Some 81 countries developed anti-AIDS immigration laws 23 . Mann and his colleagues atGPA saw the urgency of advocating a different approach, not only because these lawscontravened human rights conventions but also because they were ineffective in haltingthe progress of HIV. GPA used the existing body of human rights law ‘to pressure andcajole their member states to adopt practices that ensure public health’ 24 .Piot believes that Mann’s contribution, especially on taking a human rights perspectiveon the epidemic, cannot be overstated 25 . Without Mann as leader of GPA, he said, amuch more repressive approach might have been taken, perhaps using quarantine, anidea that had many supporters, especially in the early years of the epidemic.‘GPA … took on the role of global AIDS advocate … [it] spoke with clear, consistentscientific advice in order to dispel myths and encourage socially just responses’ 26 .GPA was successful in attracting funding; between 1987 and 1990 donors’ commitmentincreased from just over US$ 30 million to US$ 90 million, at a time when many donorstates were questioning the appropriateness of multilateral or bilateral funding.Interestingly, given the debates to come in future years over harmonization, the UKdecided to channel funds through GPA because it was felt countries would not be ableto cope with ‘invasions of donors’ 27 .“If we do notprotect the humanrights of thosewho are infected,we will endangerthe success of ourefforts, nationaland international,to control AIDS”.The bulk of GPA’s funding was spent on country activities. A major priority was workingwith countries to assist in the creation of national AIDS programmes; GPA took aproactive role in aiming to ensure country responses were adequate as well as dealingwith many urgent requests for guidance. GPA staff and a large number of consultants21WHO GPA (1992).22Soni (1998).23Ibid.24Ibid.25Behrman (2004).26Soni (1998).27Interview with UK civil servant, 1988, in Berridge (1996).