HIV/AIDS in Iraq
Officially the
1986–2003
According to the Iraqi government, and a subsequent lawsuit, the pandemic came to Iraq via contaminated blood in 1986, with
The former Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, wrongly believed that the disease could be spread through casual contact and felt that infected Iraqis should be exterminated or imprisoned.[2] When the regime fell, these segregated hospitals were looted and the surviving patients were left to wander the streets.
Post-Ba'athist
As early as 2004 the
The Iraqi government offers free medical services and financial assistance to all Iraqi citizens living with
Government health officials have some reason to be concerned, as some Muslim fundamentalist and sectarian militias have been known to harass and even kill infected Iraqis on the grounds that being infected with
In Baghdad several clinics specialize in
In 2005 representatives from the Iraqi Health Ministry traveled to Jordan to speak with public health officials about Jordanian efforts to stop the spread of the pandemic.[7]
In 2006 the government in northern Iraq, Kurdistan, began to deport foreigners found to be HIV-positive because the government does not have the resources of facilities to offer treatment to its own citizens, let alone foreigners.[8]
Ignorance about the pandemic remains widespread and it is taboo to discuss the ways in which the virus can be spread or to encourage the usage of condoms.[9]
References
- ^ POZ - News : Iraq’s First HIV Lawsuit
- ^ "AEGiS-AFP News: Iraq-AIDS-Saddam: HIV-infected haemophiliac brothers pay for father's Saddam handshake - May 8, 2003". Archived from the original on 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
- ^ "One of world's worst countries for mothers". 7 May 2003.
- ^ "HIV-positive persons fear reprisals". 14 January 2009.
- ^ "Western Resistance: Iraq: Couple Murdered for Being HIV Positive; Islam Absolved". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- ^ "Aid & Development: AIDS in Iraq: "Men here believe they are immune to the disease"". Archived from the original on 2007-06-10. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- ^ FHI – Iraqi Study Tour
- ^ "Aid & Development: Health officials in Iraq ordered to deport HIV-positive foreigners". Archived from the original on 2007-06-10. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- ^ Taboo on topic of AIDS handicaps health care / Low caseload makes getting affordable medications difficult