The focus is on decriminalizing HIV transmission

December 15, 2023

On December 15, in Astana, the Kazakhstan Union of People Living with HIV initiated a round table to discuss amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan regarding the exclusion of part 1 of Article 118 (knowingly putting another person in danger). 

The meeting was attended by representatives of government agencies (Ministries of Internal Affairs, Health), the Kazakh Scientific Center for Dermatology and Infectious Diseases, UNAIDS, civil society, the Country Coordinating Committee for Work with International Organizations on HIV Infection and Tuberculosis, as well as the Secretariat of the CCM in Kazakhstan. 

1. Baiserkin - Director KNCDIZ drew the attention of those present that according to the results of 11 months of this year, there has been a decrease in new HIV cases in the country. This is undoubtedly the result of the effectiveness of the ongoing systematic work. All achievements are possible with the active interaction and cooperation of medical professionals and the non-governmental sector.

Representatives of civil society are actively involved in the process of changing legislation that directly affects the realization of the rights of people living with HIV. An analysis of national legislation has been carried out to determine the list of normative legal acts in the Republic of Kazakhstan establishing criminal, administrative and/or other liability for HIV transmission.

The participants of the meeting worked out a further strategy to decriminalize HIV transmission. It was decided to conduct an additional analysis in the near future, including accounting for law enforcement practice, to amend the articles of the documents under discussion.

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