Health minister apposes mandatory HIV testing

ZAMBIA: Health minister apposes mandatory HIV testing

JOHANNESBURG, 7 Jun 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - There will be no mandatory HIV testing in Zambia, Health Minister Brian Chituwo has said.

Zambia's National AIDS Council (NAC) recently announced that plans to place at least 100,000 people on anti-AIDS treatment by 2005, and called for mandatory HIV/AIDS testing in hospitals and health centres to reach this target.

However, the minister said that forcing people to test for HIV was an infringement of their rights.

Chituwo was quoted by a local newspaper, The Post, as saying: "Zambia's stand on HIV testing is that it should be strictly voluntary. We have to respect individual rights and it is up to the individual to decide whether to get tested or not."

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