Statements and Webcast
Dominican Republic
H. E. Mr. Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo, Permanent Representative
9 June 2011
Statement Summary
FEDERICO ALBERTO CUELLO CAMILO (Dominican Republic) said 80 per cent of all HIV cases in the Caribbean were to be found in his country. As such, it was very important to increase national and international efforts to create effective mechanisms that would help stem the epidemic’s spread. Special attention was needed for high-risk populations such as sex workers, intravenous drug users and people working in sugarcane fields, among others. In recognition of the importance of respecting the human rights of people living with HIV, the Dominican Congress had approved an HIV/AIDS bill in May, he said, adding that, once signed by the President, it would repeal previous laws, while guaranteeing treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS.
The Government was taking steps to end discrimination in the workplace for people living with HIV and AIDS, in line with recommendation 200, adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2010, he said. Since 2006, the Dominican Republic had had a national policy for children orphaned or left vulnerable because of HIV and AIDS, he said, adding that the Ministry of Education had taken steps to implement sex education policies. Since 2008, the number of people living with HIV who had received antiretroviral therapies had risen, which was helping to prevent mother-to-child transmission. The national social security system provided benefits to 7,000 people living with HIV and AIDS, and the Government was working with its Haitian counterpart to design binational responses to HIV and AIDS, he said.
Source: GA/11090