HIV testing now compulsory

Wed, 16 Aug 2017 14:07:45 +0000

By CHIKUMBI KATEBE

ZAMBIA has amplified its approach in the fight against HIV with the introduction of mandatory testing and treatment in all health institutions in meeting the UN target of eliminating HIV by 2030.

President Edgar Lungu made the announcement yesterday during the commemoration of the inaugural HIV Testing and Treatment day, that testing and subsequent treatment has now become policy and compulsory in Zambia.

He said this was the government’s policy in attaining the 2030 threshold in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

“Just yesterday when we sat in Cabinet we dealt with this subject of HIV Testing and Treatment and I must confess there are some colleagues who felt that this is contrary to human rights and the right to privacy, but my position was that no one has the right to take his own life and no one has the right to take another’s life.

“Therefore, we will make sure that we protect life in Zambia generally across the board; just as we test for malaria, we do not consult you to consent whether we are testing or screening for malaria. We will do the same for HIV testing,” he said.

President Lungu emphasised that there was need for increased awareness in protecting life of the affected, which initiative overrides the human rights argument about voluntary testing and counselling.

Mr Lungu said the government would not wait for people to fall sick to put them on treatment.  He called for enhanced labour laws for the protection of workers on HIV treatment to avoid stigma at work places.

And Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) president Abidan Chansa said in order not to leave anybody behind, Zambia needed to take this action in eliminating HIV by 2030.

“So what we are going to offer is compulsory testing of HIV with counselling and treatment for those who test positive,” he said.

Meanwhile, UN country coordinator Janet Rogan has disclosed that 67 percent of the Zambian population were aware of their HIV status while 33 percent may not know their status and were potential transmitters of the virus.