Round table A PANCAP/GIZ/EPOS Project MELBOURNE 21 st of July 2014 Robert CAZAL-GAMELSY (PANCAP/GIZ/EPOS) Evidences for necessary legislation/policy modifications for improving Migrants’ access to HIV services in the Caribbean

Most countries Institutional Discrimination against migrants in Health/HIV services  We should counter this “official” discrimination Have signed Intl. legislations & treaties having impact on access  they now need to be ratified and translated into domestic law Demand the presentation of ID/NHI card to use health services  this obligation should be removed for the use of HIV services Limit the concept of Univ. Access to nationals & regular migrants  UA to HIV services should be truly Universal with no exclusion Critical Findings & recommendations

In most previous British colonies Still remain punitive laws criminalizing sex work and buggery thus preventing vulnerable migrants from accessing services  This laws should be modified/removed Trinidad & Tobago and Bahamas define HIV as an infectious disease, therefore a PLWH may be prevented from the entering the State,  HIV should be removed from the infectious disease list In Dutch islands/territories European Intellectual Property rules related to drugs create barriers for undocumented /uninsured migrants to access ARV treatments  Rules should be changes to authorize this territories to get generics Critical Findings & recommendations

In the Caribbean region the project is  Encouraging the countries to adopt the regional PANCAP Model Anti-discrimination Legislation  Developing an amendment to the regional PANCAP Model Legislation to strengthen access of vulnerable migrants to HIV services  Developing training modules and conducting trainings on Human Rights, cultural sensitivity and stigma and discrimination against migrants in the six countries Current response

Suriname is  Including HIV in the Law on Venereal Diseases to allow an institutional free and universal access to HIV services Trinidad & Tobago  The Caribbean Court of Justice has given a litigant leave to challenge T&T’s immigration law that prohibits entry of homosexual persons into the jurisdiction Sint Maarten is working to adopt  Rules authorising the importation of generic ARVs  Universal Access principle Current response

Challenges  There is a need for a paradigm shift from exclusion to inclusion  Vulnerable migrants are often “invisible” which contributes to their vulnerability with regard to HIV and poor access to services Conclusions  Migrants are an underserved vulnerable population in the Caribbean  The by 2020 is only possible if we take care of all regardless of their immigration status => NOBODY should be LEFT BEHIND  It is now time to adopt The regional antidiscrimination legislations A Universal-Access policy that are truly Universal In a nutshell

Many Thanks NOBODY LEFT BEHIND