Cairo – Ahmed Balah – 6 June 2010: Kuwait announced the day before yesterday that it has terminated the first national report on the status of infection with HIV/AIDS virus. The content of the report will be disclosed soon.

In cooperation with UNESCO, Kuwait had conducted a study on the interactions of the education sector with the AIDS disease in the different education sectors. The study was titled "Analyzing Interactions of Education Sector in Kuwait with the Phenomenon of HIV/AIDS Virus".

The study used analysis tool for the current situation of education sector's interaction with HIV/AIDS through conducting interviews and communications with academics, education leaders and senior workers at the education and health sectors in Kuwait represented in the Ministry of Education, University of Kuwait, the General Authority for Applied Education and Training, Kuwait Institution for Scientific Progress, Ministry of Health, Kuwaiti Medical Association, United Nations Development Programme Office in Kuwait and the Central Department for Statistics at the Ministry of Finance.

In her speech before the session held for persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHIV) at the annual International Labor Organization (ILO) Conference held in Geneva, Head of the AIDS, Statistics and Information Office at the Ministry of Health and study developer Dr. Hind Al-Shomar commended the status of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHIV) in Kuwait in comparison with other countries as regards the rights they enjoy, saying that "The PLWHIV is treated in Kuwait like other patients and enjoys all his rights of education, work or social life."

Al-Shomar pointed out that when the patient's health state exacerbates and is incapable of working, the government may undertake to give him full care.

Al-Shomar affirmed that Kuwait is one of the first countries that issued a decree with a law relevant to AIDS virus combating in 1992 and its texts stipulated preserving full rights of the patient.

Al-Shomar intensified that the law seeks to combat stigmatization and discrimination against PLWHIV in Kuwait. It further preserves secrecy and privacy of PLWHIV and patients' data as well as that of some articles on penalties imposed in case of violating this privacy.

It is worth mentioning that Kuwait established a specialized office for combating AIDS in 1994 (AIDS, Statistics and Information Office) which cares for following up PLWHIV and patients. It is keen on rising awareness, prevention and virus combating, along with the National Committee on AIDS Combat since 1985. Since then, national strategic and operation plans have been developed.

See also:

Legislative Initiative