Civil society press statement on the resolution by members of parliament on mandatory HIV testing as released on 10th september2013 Civil society press statement on the resolution by members of parliament on mandatory HIV testing as released on 10th september2013 at UGANET secretariat Forty three (43) HIV, Health and Human rights organizations collectively undersigned to challenge the resolution by the 9th parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS and Related Matters to exemplify mandatory HIV testing as the strategy that will cause a drastic fall in HIV infection rates during their committee meeting held at parliament on Wednesday 6th September 2013. Civil society shares a desired goal of scaling-up HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) and our efforts are towards working with communities to encourage as many people as we can reach to voluntarily test and know their HIV status. We request and appeal to the MOH to provide many opportunities for HIV Counseling and testing to all people. However, we are strongly opposed to the notion of mandatory and/or forceful HIV testing because this approach can only produce retrogressive results. Mandatory HIV testing is not only a gross violation of human rights to dignity and autonomy which will hinder us from achieving our public health goals, but it has the negative effect of shunning away individuals that would otherwise seek prevention, treatment, care and support services . This will fail the most important objective of voluntary testing. Forced testing will warrant forced disclosure of test results. Mandatory testing will fuel stigma and negate the gains we have made in the AIDS response over the past decade. We should look critically at the underlying causes of the low levels of HIV Counseling & testing and uptake of prevention, care, treatment, support and other HIV-related services. Never have we seen any member of parliament openly disclosing an HIV test result in the numerous HIV voluntary HCT campaigns so far undertaken by both government and civil society organizations. We would therefore want to see the Honorable Members of Parliament, go the whole journey of their resolution and in due course disclose their HIV test results whichever way it may turn out. Thirty years into the HIV response, evidence has shown that successful HIV prevention interventions depend on an environment of safety in which people at risk of HIV can demand and seek services without fear of stigma, discrimination and abuse of their human rights. Successful HIV responses depend on interventions which place human rights at the center and promote the establishment and strengthening of an enabling legal, policy and social environment. Fear of mandatory testing and breach of confidentiality drives individuals to a higher risk of shunning HIV testing which does not guarantee access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment. Uganda Voluntary testing level is at 35%, this shall be worsened with the mandatory testing since the response is still low. The Bangonza story, recently aired by NTV-Uganda is a good case of mandatory disclosure in the workplace. Our appeal to the Committee on HIV/AIDS and Related Matters and government as a whole, is to ensure that amendments are made to the contentious clauses in the HIV Prevention and Control Bill 2010. That is 1. Mandatory Testing. 2. Mandatory disclosure and 3. Criminalization and the Bill title should be changed to the HIV/AIDS prevention and management Bill as in the East African Bill. We also urge the Ministry of Health and Uganda AIDS Commission to play the technical role of advising the government on the best approaches to deal with HIV&AIDS and to hasten the implementation of biomedical interventions that have proven successful. Thank you for your sincere contribution to achieving a human rights respecting law. Organizational Members of the Coalition Uganda Network on Law, Ethics and HIV/AIDS (UGANET) International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW) The National Forum of People Living with HIV/AIDS Networks in Uganda( (NAFOPHANU) Uganda National AIDS Services organization (UNASO) The AIDS support organisation (TASO) Health Gap Action Aid International Uganda (AAIU) The Global Coalition on women and AIDS (GCWA) Mildmay Uganda Health Rights Action Group (HAG) The National Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda (NACWOLA) Centre for Human Rights and Development ( CEHURD ) Positive Women Leaders of Uganda (POWL) Uganda Network of young people living with HIV/AIDS (UNYPA) National Guidance and Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NGEN+ in Uganda) Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute.(SEATINI) National Coalition of Women with AIDS in Uganda (NACOA) Uganda Young Positives (UYP) Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development (HEPS Uganda) Support on AIDS AND life Through Telephone Helpline (SALT) Rubaga Exchange on AIDS and Livehood Support Group (REAL) Children Hope Initiative – CHI+ Women’s organisation for Human Rights Advocacy (WONETHS) Action for Rights Health rights in Uganda (AGHA) Positive Men’s Union (POMU) Maama’s Club Uganda Health and Science Press Association (UHSPA) Alliance for Integrated Development and Empowerment (AIDE) Centre for Domestic Violence Prevention (CEDOVIP) Kamwokya Christian Caring Community (KCCC) Legal Action for People with Disabilities Children Hope Initiative (CHI+) Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) CEPARD/COFTU Abantu for Development
Posted on: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 13:13:32 +0000
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