Human rights activists asked the Ministry of Transport to cancel the “discriminatory” norm with hepatitis and HIV tests for pilots

Representatives of the non-profit partnership “E.V.A.”, the public organization “Together against Hepatitis” and the organization “Coalition for Treatment Preparedness” sent an open letter to the Ministry of Transport on August 7 with a request to cancel the new requirements for civil aviation workers. They want to force air traffic controllers, pilots and flight attendants to take tests for HIV and viral hepatitis when undergoing a medical examination.

Project coordinator for viral hepatitis "E.V.A." Alexey Lakhov told “Takim Dela” that the reason for the appeal was Order No. 50 of the Ministry of Transport, according to which dispatchers and crew members of an aircraft, when entering or reinstated into flight service, must take blood tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C. “We consider this norm discriminatory. Screening is carried out to identify a person's disease and prescribe treatment. Let's say the pilot's markers are found. But what will the Ministry of Transport do with it? Our practice shows that when an employer finds out that an employee has such a disease, he is simply fired,” he noted.

Human rights activists recalled that modern treatment makes it possible to transfer HIV and viral hepatitis to the category of chronic diseases that do not in any way prevent carriers from performing their official duties. According to Lakhov, the new requirement does not make any sense, but only violates the patient’s right to confidentiality of diagnosis and sows unnecessary fears in society. “The Ministry of Transport thus states: you can fly on the same plane with an HIV-infected flight attendant or a pilot with hepatitis, but we are doing everything possible to prevent this,” explained Alexey Lakhov.

The authors of the open letter demand that this rule be completely eliminated or at least explain why the crew is forced to take tests for these particular diseases. Within 30 days, the Ministry of Transport must give a response, after which human rights activists will decide how to react further.

The press service of the Ministry of Transport stated that they have not yet received the appeal, Life reports .

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