Obama to lift HIV entry ban soon

bbc ^

[darkside321]

The US is to end its 22-year ban on people with HIV entering the country, President Barack Obama has confirmed.

Mr Obama made the announcement as he extended funding for an act that provides HIV/Aids related health care.

"If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/Aids, we need to act like it," Mr Obama said.

The US is one of only about a dozen countries barring entry on HIV status. The ban is expected to be lifted at the beginning of 2010.

'End the stigma'

Mr Obama confirmed the move as he signed the Ryan White HIV/Aids Treatment Extension Act.

Mr Obama said the entry ban had been "rooted in fear rather than fact".

He said: "We lead the world when it comes to helping stem the Aids pandemic - yet we are one of only a dozen countries that still bar people with HIV from entering our own country.

"On Monday, my administration will publish a final rule that eliminates the travel ban effective just after the New Year."

Mr Obama added: "It will also take an effort to end the stigma that has stopped people from getting tested, that has stopped people from facing their own illness and that has sped the spread of this disease for far too long."

The process to lift the ban had begun under the administration of George W Bush.

The Ryan White Act is named after a 13-year-old boy who contracted the virus via blood transfusion and helped educate Americans about the disease until his death in 1990 aged 18.

The act helps about 500,000 people, many on low incomes, by providing treatment and support.

HIV was added in 1987 to the list of diseases disqualifying people from entering the US.

[gunner03]

Get rid of every one of those bastards in Washington, by vote or by dragging them out, kicking and screaming. When is it ENOUGH.

[historyrepeatz]

I guess the Swine Flu didn’t kill as many as the Gov’t had hoped. Gotta bring in something better.

[historyrepeatz]

This IS sickening. We CAN’T AFFORD to incur the costs of the world’s AIDS patients, and they’ll surely flood to the U.S. now for treatment, compliments of the U.S. TAXPAYER. Another BRILLIANT move by Hussein.

[oprahstheantichrist]

"...I heard him thank the Bush administration for getting this process started...."

Not buyin' it. They lie. They twist.

[oprahstheantichrist]

"Don’t ban travel outright."

They don't leave. They overstay their visas.

[paul51]

unemployed, uneducated, penniless, disease ridden...is there anyone we won't let into the country. Frickin idiots we have running our country into the ground. And the people do nothing except shut up, pay your taxes and do as you are told by your rulers. I swear, I sick to my stomach

[darkside321]

They don’t leave. They overstay their visas.

---

a little bit of topic. but interesting for me to watch
so many people who are trying so desperate to become a US citizen while for me on the other side it would be a real catastrophe if uncle sam would notice that i´m indeed a US citizen (born in the US but lived all my life in Europe) :-) because this would prevent me entering the US again forever.

[MaxMax]

Gloom, despair, unemployment, ignore troop support, death, chaos,
hopelessness, worry, and agony on America. Deep dark depression, excessive misery.
If it weren't for Obamao I'd have no luck at all, gloom, despair, and agony on America.

[Dumb_Ox]

If Obama likes gays, why does he allow in even more people from whom they can catch a fatal disease?

[darkside321]

unemployed, uneducated, penniless, disease ridden...is there anyone we won’t let into the country.

---

same here in Europe :-( we are overun from 3rd worlders who only cost tax money and bring little to no benefit for the country.

[heylady]

“I am just hoping that this thread doesn’t become a forum to gay bash.”

The immigration would be from Africa and many of the South East Asian countries that have a large HIV population. I doubt anyone would even think of turning their plight into gay bashing.

[NautiNurse]

i have visited the US 2 times and no one ever asked me if i´m HIV positiv

What you don't know is whether the foreign national health service had already identified and prevented HIV+ persons from purchasing a ticket for international travel.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

[Nowhere Man]

I swear Obama is a Doomsday Machine on two legs. (Shakes Head and says “WTF?”)

[wolf78]

Well, no, but speaking for myself, I'm in the 21st century mentality that I can pay for AIDS treatment for non-Americans..

That is the real issue here. But then again, that's no reason to e.g. keep a Italian businessman or a British tourist (who get their pills at home and stay for 3 days or two weeks) out of the coutry. Especially given the fact that HIV prevalence is much higher in the US than e.g. in most of Europe.

... and worry about the quality of blood transfusions that will be available when I or my family members need therm.

The problem here is not tourists - they usually never donate blood (or there could be rules against foreign tourists donating blood, there probably are already). Plus: blood donations are being screened so even a psychopath would have to expect being caught and embarrassed.

The real problem here is people who don't know they have it yet, who live a more promiscuous life than would be advisable if you want to give blood, yet still do so because of social pressure (company blood drive etc.). But even in that case screening works (in 99.999% of the cases).

[Nowhere Man]

I swear, Obama is really on short time.

Wish the election was tommorrow.

I know, I wish we could take a Mulligan on last year's election. There is a side of me that hopes we have a military coup. If I was a general in charge, the best thing to do is have the Joint Chiefs run the Federal government, the States would retain their Constitutional powers under their governors. Then if we have time to set it up, special elections for all seats in Congress and the Presidency would be called for in November 2010 or if the logistics fail us, make it November 2012. Anybody who held office in Congress and/or the Presidency, including cabinent members and Tsars would be deemed ineligible for life. After the election, when the New Congress and President is sworn in the following January, they will assume their roles and the Joint Chiefs would go back to their old role.

[Candor7]

Sounds like a plan. I would support such a patriotic movement in a heart beat.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Especially the illegal ones.

[turnrightnow]

“...and the problem with this is..........????????????”

Really? You don’t see the connection between lifting the HIV restrictions and the push for socialized medicine?

[topfile]

Guess who gets to pay for their Medical Care?