Saudi Health Minister Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Manei opens on Saturday at King Fahad Medical City in Riyadh, the first regional seminar on "AIDS and Human Rights." The seminar is organized by World Health Organization (WHO) in cooperation with the executive office of GCC health ministers council , Saudi health ministry and UN organization's branch in Riyadh. The Director General of the executive office of GCC health ministers council , Tawfiq Ahmad Khoja said that the seminar will discuss several AIDS issues such as the international health sector's response to the disease, updating the region about it, national health regulations plan in GCC countries and Yemen, AIDS patients' rights and consultations, programs aiming at raising health awareness and health services. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency, Khoja said that the seminar will discuss the measures undertaken by WHO and other regional and international organizations to support the execution of patients` rights strategy and Islamic approaches toward patients` rights. He hoped that the seminar ends up with recommendations that contribute to the correction of misconceptions by AIDS patients such as keeping their illness a secret which is an obstacle to early treatment , and the encouragement of legislative regulations that guarantee AIDS patients' rights.
