ABIA’s POSITION: repudiation of the Bolsonaro’s statement

ABIA expresses its total rejection of the unfortunate declaration of the President of the
Republic, Jair Bolsonaro, who in an attempt to justify the unjustifiable – the sexual
abstinence policy recently announced by Minister Damares Alves -stated that “a person
with HIV is an expense for everyone here in Brazil ”. First of all, ABIA emphasizes that
abstinence policies do not reduce HIV infection rates. Furthermore, it drew our attention
that on January 31, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI, acronym in Portuguese)
– official representative of the interests of the most important Brazilian business
entreprises – filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Federal Court (STF) to revoke the labor rule
that prohibits the dismissal of people living with HIV.

For ABIA, the two actions are in line since both reinforce stigma, prejudice and
discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS in this country. It is likely that in two
days or so the president will try to take the statement back. That will not change the
frequent disservice he has done to this nation, by distilling hate and ignorance against
the black, indigenous, feminist cause, among others vulnerable populations. Bolsonaro’s
administration ignores the fundamental human rights of all people on a daily basis and
now attacks people living with HIV/AIDS without considering that the response to the
epidemic has only succeeded while it has produced solidarity and social justice.

It will not be through division, prejudice and ignorance that we will ...

Improved implementation of TB and HIV care cascade would reduce human suffering and untimely deaths

The original patents for many anti-HIV medications have expired and generic versions of them are available. This means that different versions of the same anti-HIV drug are produced by different manufacturers.

Gaps in public financing for health can be met by eliminating tax dodging and implementing progressive taxation; health and development must be protected from the growing impact of debt