Obama To Lift US HIV Travel Ban

International News, By SSHQ, 3rd November, 2009

The Obama administration will lift a 20-year old ban on people with HIV travelling to the United States.

The US has been one of several countries that bar entry to travellers based on their HIV status. Over the weekend, President Obama announced that the ban would be lifted in early January 2010.

The move has been welcomed by NSW Health and HIV/AIDS organisation ACON and Positive Life NSW. ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill says lifting the ban will significantly improve HIV prevention efforts not only in the US but all around the world.

“Removing the ban on HIV-positive people entering the US is indeed a step that will save lives,” Mr Parkhill says.

“At an international level, it will help ease the stigma associated with HIV and encourage people to get tested and receive treatment.

“This will significantly improve HIV prevention efforts here in Australia and especially in many Asian and Pacific countries where HIV transmission rates continue to escalate.”

Positive Life CEO Rob Lake says the move will put an end to years of discrimination and blatant disregard of science.

“When this ban was introduced over 20 years ago, there was widespread fear and ignorance about HIV,” Mr Lake says.

“Since then our understanding of the virus has come a long way but the US continued to keep this pointless ban in place, hampering research efforts as well as keeping families separated without any benefit to public health.”

“For people with HIV, the removal of the US travel ban is a very important outcome not only because it means travelling or migrating to the US is now possible again but also because it will help reduce the stigma that perpetuates HIV transmission as well as the discrimination which HIV-positive people face throughout the world.”