AIDS: ethics, justice and European policy

The final report of a three year research project on AIDS, carried out within the framework of the EU's Biomedicine and Health research programme, has recently been published. This concerted action entitled "AIDS: ethics, justice and European policy" addressed the many ethical...

The final report of a three year research project on AIDS, carried out within the framework of the EU's Biomedicine and Health research programme, has recently been published. This concerted action entitled "AIDS: ethics, justice and European policy" addressed the many ethical, social and legal issues such as social justice, autonomy, freedom and responsibility which relate to the development of a European policy on AIDS.

The ultimate aim of the project, which brought together 32 participants from 14 European countries, was to identify the basic principles of, and sketch an ethical framework for, European social and legislative policy on HIV and AIDS. The main results of the project are dealt with in the report under the following headings:

- A scientific overview of what is HIV/AIDS;
- An overview of the main policy responses to HIV;
- The question of children and AIDS;
- Screening, testing and confidentiality;
- HIV and AIDS and the end of life;
- AIDS and the law - national responses;
- Responsibility for public health;
- Rights, HIV and the law;
- Obligations, HIV and the law.