Tunisia: Information regarding the treatments available to people with HIV/AIDS
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1997 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TUN27825.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Tunisia: Information regarding the treatments available to people with HIV/AIDS, 1 September 1997, TUN27825.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad0648.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided to the DIRB in an 18 September 1997 telephone interview with a Tunisian AIDS activist who is a correspondent for AIDES Fédération Nationale, an AIDS support and information organization in France. AIDS patients in Tunisia are treated in the infectious diseases section at one of three hospitals: Tunis, Sfax, or Sousse. Only AZT is normally available in Tunisia, and the government provides it free of charge to AIDS patients. Some individuals in Tunisia are being treated with AZT in combination with two other medications, but in these cases the patients themselves or AIDS organizations abroad are arranging delivery of the additional medications from abroad. Anonymous HIV testing is not available in Tunisia. The government has an AIDS commission that provides a small allowance to AIDS patients who are living in poverty. There are three non-governmental organizations in Tunisia concerned with AIDS.
According to a 19 September 1997 letter from AIDES Fédération Nationale in Paris, there is no anonymous HIV testing in Tunisia and HIV-positive people in Tunisia are obliged to identify their sexual contacts. For additional information please consult the attached letter.
According to a 1 April 1997 report in Le Monde, Ali Bouaouaja, a 39-year-old Tunisian suffering from AIDS, was allowed to return to France after being expelled when it was determined that he would not be able to receive in Tunisia the treatment that had been available to him in France. Please see the attached article for details.
For information on the distribution of AIDS in Tunisia and efforts to stop its spread, please consult the attached 24 November 1995 and 17 July 1995 reports from Africa News Service and the attached 16 July 1995 report from Agence France Presse.
For information from the United Nations World Health Organization on the rate of AIDS infection in Tunisia and other countries, please see the attached documents, provided to the DIRB by AIDES Fédération Nationale in Paris.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
AIDES Fédération Nationale, Paris. 19 September 1997. Letter sent to the DIRB by fax.
AIDS activist and correspondent for AIDES Fédération Nationale, Tunis. 18 September 1997. Telephone interview.
Le Monde [Paris]. 1 April 1997. "Un Tunisien malade du sida autorisé à revenir en France." (NEXIS)
Attachments
Africa News [Durham, NC]. 24 November 1995. "National AIDS Plan Emphasizes Prevention, Education." (NEXIS)
_____. July 1995. "Condoms Handed Out to Weekend Bathers." (NEXIS)
Agence France Presse. 16 July 1995. "Distribution de préservatifs gratuits sur les plages de Tunisie." (NEXIS)
AIDES Fédération Nationale. Paris. 19 September 1997. Letter sent to the DIRB by fax.
Le Monde [Paris]. 1 April 1997. "Un Tunisien malade du sida autorisé à revenir en France." (NEXIS)
World Health Organization. 30 June 1996. "The Current Global Situation of AIDS." (provided to the DIRB by AIDES Fédération Nationale, Paris)
_____. n.d. Table showing rate of AIDS infection in Tunisia and other countries. (provided to the DIRB by AIDES Fédération Nationale, Paris)
