From UNAIDS Website:  The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries met from the 16th through the 18th of April, 2011, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia calling for a collaborative approach to effectively respond to AIDS.  Participating countries included the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.  Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Rabeeah, the Minister of Health of Saudi Arabia, hosted the meeting.

Topics of discussion included: migrant workers, human rights, stigma, and civil society.  Dr. Al Rabeeah stressed that HIV/AIDS was a development issue as well, which could hinder long-term growth in the region.  Weak surveillance, travel restrictions, mandatory HIV testing, gender inequalities, and discrimination were also identified as hindering an effective regional response.

In his address to the Saudi Ministry of Health Initiative to Fight AIDS, Dr. Hussein A. Gezairy, Regional Director of WHO/EMRO, spoke of the possible increase in HIV incidence rates in marginalized populations resulting from their vulnerability.  He recommended introduction and expansion of prevention, care and treatment and the need to adapt surveillance to these high priority populations.

It was suggested that women and religious leaders (including female religious leaders) could play an important role in prevention and the reduction of stigma and discrimination.  A representative from a network of people living with HIV (PLHIV) called on the Saudi private sector to follow the government's lead in provision of free HIV treatment and care services and protective policies regarding job applications and maintenance.

The meeting concluded with the writing of the draft Riyadh Charter, which includes ten recommendations for GCC countries to scale up their engagement and response.  These recommendations call for: increased collaboration between ministries of health and civil society; scaling-up of treatment, care, support, counseling and testing; further epidemiological research; tackling HIV issues in the media; and addressing legislation that would preserve the human rights of PLHIV.

For further reading:

Ten recommendations of the draft Riyadh Charter

UNAIDS Article

Saudi Ministry of Health Article