Parliamentary proposal for HIV testing of MPs

Malawi's parliamentary health committee has proposed that the 193 members of parliament be tested for HIV. This, it said, would show the general public that the nation's lawmakers were taking the lead in tackling the HIV/AIDS crisis. It is estimated that over a million people, or about a tenth of the country's population, are currently living with the virus. A parliamentary committee chairman, Henry Zembere, was quoted by Reuters as saying: "We are the ones making laws and are, therefore, crucial in formulating HIV/AIDS policy. As such, we have to lead by example." If accepted, the proposal would be one of the boldest initiatives undertaken by politicians anywhere in Africa.