The Impact of Law On Effective HIV/AIDS Responses In India

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Law ( SAARCLAW ), UNAIDS Technical Support Facility for South Asia ( TSF-SA ) and Maitri, an NGO , together hosted a one day meeting on Thursday, 16 February 2012 in New Delhi, to discuss strategies for overcoming legal barriers to HIV prevention and treatment efforts. This meeting was one of the four regional consultations being held as part of the UNDP funded project ‘Support to the development of enabling environment by scanning of laws that impede effective HIV and AIDS responses in India.’ It is widely accepted that the effectiveness of HIV responses depends not just on the sustained scale up of HIV prevention, treatment and care, but also on whether the legal and social environments support or hinder programmes for those who are most vulnerable to and affected by HIV and AIDS. The main challenge is to understand and try to amend laws that reinforce HIV-related stigma and prejudice impeding HIV prevention efforts and access to treatment, care and support.