Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Zambia

Plan for mandatory HIV test criticised

    JOHANNESBURG

    The proposed introduction of mandatory HIV/AIDS testing in Zambia's hospitals and clinics has been criticised by the Zambia Medical Association (ZMA).

    The acting director general of the National AIDS Council, Rosemary Musonda, told a parliamentary committee on health earlier this week that the current approach of referring people for voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) was inappropriate.

    ZMA chairman Peter Mwaba said the proposal was an infringement of individual human rights.

    "As advocates of good medical practice and medical ethics, we consider the mandatory testing to be a primarily unethical practice," a local newspaper, The Times of Zambia, quoted Mwaba as saying.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join