Resolution of the Council and the Ministers for Health of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 22 December 1989 on the fight against AIDS
Date: 1989-12-22
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: AIDS, drug addiction, epidemiology, health education, international cooperation, public awareness campaign













EUR-Lex - 41990X0116 - EN






Avis juridique important




|



41990X0116

Resolution of the Council and the Ministers for Health of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 22 December 1989 on the fight against AIDS  


Official Journal C 010 , 16/01/1990 P. 0003 - 0006 





RESOLUTION  OF THE COUNCIL AND THE MINISTERS FOR HEALTH OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL of 22  December 1989 on the fight against AIDS (90/C  10/02)THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES AND THE MINISTERS FOR HEALTH OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL, Having  regard to the Treaties establishing the European Communities, Having regard to their common  approach to combating AIDS, worked out in 1986 and subsequently expanded  (1), Remain concerned by  the increase in the AIDS epidemic in the Member States of the Community and by its social,  economic, legal and ethical consequences; Recall their conclusions of 16 May 1989  (2) affirming  that contamination by drug injection is a major concern of the health authorities; Stress the very  considerable efforts made by all Member States in the fields of research, treatment and prevention  as well as the major endeavour to coordinate research at Community level; Note that, in spite of  encouraging progress achieved in research, effective vaccines and treatment will not be widely  available for several years; Reiterate the importance of international cooperation, in particular  with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Council of Europe; Consider it advisable to  reaffirm and specify, for the attention of all European citizens, the principles which should guide  them in preventing and combating AIDS; Draw attention also to their conclusions of 15 May 1987  (3)  in which they decided to draw up an action and coordination plan for adoption by the Member States  and at Community level; Therefore agree to step up the coordination of national and Community  projects and promote activities of common interest. A.  Common principles for the fight against  AIDS I.  Prevention1.    In the fight against AIDS, top priority should, alongside research,  continue to be given to prevention by means of health information and health education. 2.    The  information should be clear and full and stress the fact that HIV infection and the disease of AIDS  in no way justify any reaction of fear or of discrimination. 3.    Health-information and  health-education measures should deliver well-aimed messages: on the one hand, it remains  indispensable that the general public and young people in particular be given repeated general  messages on prevention; on the other hand, local or targeted measures must bring these messages  home.Special attention should be given to ways of reaching drug addicts and those living on the  fringes of society. 4.    Prevention must include improved access to suitable individual  counselling and to the available means of protection against the virus, such as condoms and safe  injection material. 5.    These measures should be thoroughly reviewed on a regular basis. II.  Use  of diagnostic tests1.    Suitable diagnostic tests must be widely available on a voluntary and  confidential basis within the public health systems.Where advisable, additional arrangements may be  made to offer individuals the possibility of being tested anonymously, if possible free of charge.  2.    These tests form part of individual preventive measures, always accompanied by information  and counselling provided by qualified persons. 3.    On the basis of knowledge gleaned to date, no  public health reason justifies the systematic and compulsory screening of individuals, i.e.  screening without prior information or consent of the persons tested. Such a practice is  particularly ineffective as a means of prevention. 4.    To improve epidemiological data, in the  context of longitudinal or prospective studies and for public health purposes, requires the use of  appropriate strategies. 5.    Progress in the medical use of substances of human origin (such as  blood and its derivatives, organs, tissues and semen) must be actively continued.Voluntary donation  of such substances without remuneration, maintaining screening on the occasion of each donation by  means of suitable tests (testing of AIDS viruses), the development of a policy of informing donors  in order to exclude risk donors and similarly stringent quality controls throughout the Community  make an essential contribution to the safe use of such donations, and particularly to safe  transfusion. III.  The fight against discrimination1.    Any discrimination against persons with  AIDS or HIV-positive persons constitutes a violation of human rights and prejudices an effective  prevention policy because of its effects of exclusion and ostracism. 2.    The free movement of  persons, goods and services in the Community and equal treatment as laid down in the Treaties are,  and must continue to be, guaranteed. 3.    The greatest possible vigilance must therefore be  exercised in order to combat all forms of discrimination, particularly in recruitment, at the  workplace, at school and as regards accommodation and sickness insurance. 4.    With regard, more  particularly, to accommodation and private insurance, solutions should be found which reconcile  economic interests with the principle of non-discrimination. IV.  Medical and social care for  HIV-positive individuals and persons with AIDS1.    In order to enable persons affected to take  full advantage of improvements in therapy and diagnosis, the fullest and earliest possible access  to care should be made available. 2.    In particular, persons who do not have social security  cover, as is often the case with drug addicts or former drug addicts, require specific measures,  where appropriate. 3.    The dissemination of information on solutions which have proved successful  in certain countries should be encouraged and backed up, especially at Community level. 4.     Non-governmental organizations, whether their members be affected persons or persons concerned by  the epidemic, play an essential role in the provision of psychological and social care for affected  persons. This role must be encouraged and more widely recognized. B.  Specific activities: action  plan I.  Basic operational researchCommunity research policy has to date been based in particular  on vaccines, treatment and epidemiology and on the ways of involving health services, particularly  in developing countries, in combating AIDS. This policy must be continued and backed by all the  necessary means. II.  Research into, and evaluation of, the socio-economic impactBetter knowledge  of the pathogenesis of AIDS should go hand in hand with a better understanding of the psychosocial,  economic and demographic effects of the disease and of its consequences for society in Europe and  the world. The Commission is called upon to consider in particular the following topics in  coordinated research projects: analysis and assessment of requirements for caring, research into  behaviour and behavioural factors with particular reference to prevention, development of methods  for assessing preventive measures, analysis of socio-economic consequences and preparation of  forecasts and scenarios in this field. III.  International cooperationThe Council takes note of the  measures already undertaken under the programme to combat AIDS in developing countries adopted on  21 May 1987. Without prejudice to the priorities which have still to be determined, the Council  considers it advisable to continue and strengthen these measures which must be consistent with the  common approach adopted by the Council and the Ministers for Health to this matter. The Community  has a specific role to play in this field in close collaboration with the Member States, the WHO  and the other international organizations concerned. IV.  Monitoring of the epidemiological  situation in the CommunityIn the light of the considerable work already done to improve the general  system for gathering epidemiological data, and notably the conclusions of the Council and the  Ministers for Health meeting within the Council on 15  December 1988 and 16 May 1989  (1), the  Member States and the Commission are requested, each as far as it is concerned, to:-  continue  improving the general system for gathering epidemiological data, and particularly national  monitoring systems,-forward regularly to the European Centre for the Epidemiological Monitoring of  AIDS (WHO-EC Collaboration Centre in Paris) the available epidemiological data and provide suitable  access to the Centre's database,-develop coordinated epidemiological studies for assessing the  present situation and the possible spread of the epidemic,-take account of the above information  when subsequently developing strategies for prevention and care,-develop, together with experts  designated by the Member States and the European Centre, methodological approaches to ensure  greater comparability of epidemiological data. The Commission will ensure that appropriate  Community support is given to the European Centre to carry out all these tasks. V.  Development of  measures to combat AIDSIn the light of the conclusions of the Council and the Ministers for Health  meeting within the Council on 16  May 1989  (2) which:-  requested the Commission to prepare and  submit to the Council by the end of 1989 a programme on the prevention of AIDS in intravenous drug  users,-requested the Commission to examine, within the framework of the internal market, the  possibilities for harmonization of condoms and HIV self-testing kits,-instructed the ad hoc Working  Party on AIDS, in close cooperation with, and with the participation of, the Commission, to develop  the exchange of information on the results of the assessment of the national prevention measures  including information campaigns, and on awareness measures for health personnel and finally to  examine the possibilities for improving at Community level the HIV-related technical safety  requirements for organs, tissues, semen and blood: (a)  the Commission is requested, on the basis  of the guidelines laid down by the Council in this resolution and in close cooperation with the  Member States and with the possible assistance of experts appointed by each of them, to:-  develop  exchanges of information and experience in priority areas of the fight against AIDS, in particular  those indicated in the Annex hereto, and the resultant coordination,-draw up and submit to the  Council, at the earliest opportunity, proposals defining the details and content of an action plan  integrating appropriate measures to prevent and control AIDS, including the coordination of the  pilot projects carried out by the Member States and contributions to preparing Community projects  on research and international cooperation; (b)the ad hoc Working Party on AIDS in instructed, in  accordance with the conclusions previously adopted by the Council and the Ministers for Health, to  continue its work, in particular on exchanges of information and experience, to examine the  communications and proposals to be submitted by the Commission and to report to the Council on the  implementation of this resolution. ANNEX PRIORITY TOPICS FOR THE EXCHANGES OF INFORMATION AND  EXPERIENCE I.  Topics which have been the subject of earlier conclusions-  assessment of national  prevention measures, including assessment of information campaigns and problems which may concern  women or certain specific categories of person,-preventive measures aimed at drug  addicts,-technical ways of improving safety in the use of substances of human origin. II.New  topics-care of infected persons,-health information and education for young people,-implementation  of the conclusions of the Council and the Ministers for Health concerning AIDS and the place of  work.   (1)  OJ No C 184, 23. 7. 1986, p. 21,OJ No C 178, 7. 7. 1987, p. 1,OJ No C 197,  27. 7. 1988, p. 8,OJ No C 28, 3. 2. 1989, p. 1, andOJ No C 185, 22. 7. 1989, p. 3. (2)  OJ No C 185, 22. 7. 1986, p. 3. (3)  OJ No C 178, 7. 7. 1987, p. 1. (1)  OJ No C 28, 3. 2. 1989, p. 1, andOJ No C 185, 22. 7. 1989, p. 7. (2)  OJ No C 185, 22. 7. 1989, p. 3.