WASHINGTON (AP) — The United Nations is praising the United States and South Korea for lifting travel bans on people with HIV and is urging 57 other countries with travel restrictions to end them quickly.
President Barack Obama signed a bill in October to overturn a 22-year-old travel and immigration ban against people with the HIV virus, which causes AIDS, and it came into force on Monday. South Korea eliminated travel restrictions for people with the HIV virus on Jan. 1.
The removal of the restrictions means travelers who are HIV positive can now freely enter both countries.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon repeated his call to the 57 other countries with some form of travel restrictions to end the discrimination against people living with HIV.