Author: Nargis Hamrabayeva, Tajikistan
Approximately five thousand citizens of Tajikistan, which were found to be infected with HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis during their stay in the territory of the Russian Federation, were declared personae non gratae for lifetime by the government of Russia in June this year. How could this expulsion of infected fellow citizens affect the Republic of Tajikistan?
Generally, after returning from Russia, migrant workers, unaware of their status, may unintentionally put the health of the members of their families at risk by spreading and transmitting infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS, believes Takhmina Khaidarova, the head of the Tajik Network of Women (TNW) Living with HIV/AIDS.
“The consequences of transmitting and spreading of infectious diseases depend solely on the will of the state. Providing that a state fully implements their commitments within the framework of the National Strategy for the Response to HIV/AIDS Epidemic for 2017-2020, it would be possible to avoid drastic consequences. If the government of a state cannot conduct awareness-building work about infectious diseases and their transmission amongst their population on adequate level, despite the fact whether or not infected migrants would be deported, the increase of the epidemic will stay high,” she considers.
According to Takhmina Khaidarova, the main problem is the low level of awareness about infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, before the migrants leave the country, during their stay in the host country, as well as on their return to their home country. “Migrant workers have little information and preparation, they are not aware about their status before leaving the country and they do not observe any safety measures during their stay in labour migration. After contracting infectious diseases, they return to their home country and, generally, do not undergo medical examinations; so, unaware of this, they transmit infectious diseases to their sexual partners,” says Takhmina Khaidarova.
She believes that another problem lies in the fear of stigma and discrimination, therefore, migrant workers who have returned do not undergo examination until their health deteriorates considerably.
According to figures provided by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tajikistan, there have been noted 384 cases of citizens infected with HIV in the first quarter of 2017, whereby one in sixth is a migrant, who had left in search of work outside the country. Presently, the total number of people living with HIV-positive status in Tajikistan is around nine thousand.
It should also be reminded that Eastern Europe and Central Asia will be a prime focus in the 22nd International HIV/AIDS Conference in 2018, which will take place in Amsterdam in July 2018.
