Health and human rights threatened by Chinese drug policies
Health and human rights threatened by Chinese HIV and drug policies
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Tuesday, 09, Dec 2008 08:27
China's policies on HIV and drug use compromise the health and human rights of intravenous narcotics users, a new study claims.
A report published in the PLoS Medicine journal states that contradictory approaches towards HIV and drug use leaves the health of users in question as they are subjected to sometimes punitive treatment while in detoxification or so-called "re-education through labour" centres (RELCs).
The findings come after China was recently praised for an increasingly liberal response to the issues.
Interviews with 19 recently detained injection drug users and 20 officials in Guangxi Province found that a number of users had been arrested when attempting to buy clean needles or continue methadone therapy.
The majority of detox facilities were alleged to have carried out routine HIV testing without consent - or the disclosure of the result - and many detainees with HIV were not provided with medical or drug dependency treatment.
"The failure of the Chinese government to ensure that drug users in detention receive effective treatment for drug dependency and have access to HIV prevention and treatment services while in detox or RELC constitutes a serious risk to the right to life, and jeopardises the success of China's HIV goals," conclude the authors Elizabeth Cohen and Joseph Amon from the Human Rights Watch group.
Stephen Koester of the University of Colorado - who was not involved in the research - said the findings provided "a sobering reality check to reports heralding China's 'bold steps to scale up' HIV prevention and treatment".
"Seemingly progressive public health policies cannot fully be effective when carried out within a context of punishment and fear," he added.
According to the report, there were about 700 mandatory drug detox centres in China and 165 RELCs housing a total of more than 350,000 drug users in 2005.
A "National People's War on Illicit Drugs" initiative implemented by the Chinese government has the goal of further increasing the number of people detained.