Discrimination and social distance towards persons living with HIV are most common in the areas of health care, work and employment, and the provision of services, said the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Milan Antonijević, at the opening of the symposium “HIV Today: Everything We Need to Know”, held to mark the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day and European Testing Week, organized by the National Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health POTENT.

Although modern medicine has advanced, making the virus an intangible threat, stigma and prejudice still persist among the general public, but also among health care workers themselves. Persons living with HIV have the right to equal health care, the right to work, to education, to dignity and privacy – just like all other citizens, the Commissioner emphasized.

Various studies indicate that, due to stigmatization, victimization and fear of being rejected, persons living with HIV do not want their status to become known to the wider community, which is why they often do not report discrimination or other violations of rights.

The fight against discrimination is not only a legal issue, but also a matter of knowledge, empathy and responsibility. The institution of the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality remains committed to protecting the rights of persons living with HIV – through acting on complaints, issuing recommendations, but also through preventive action and cooperation with institutions and civil society organizations.

Commissioner Antonijević recalled the importance of continuous education of employees in the health care and employment systems, as well as institutional responsibility, so that the most basic human rights of persons living with HIV may be realized.