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HIV testing of civil servants deemed criminal

    JOHANNESBURG

    A new AIDS policy released in Kenya this week protects the rights of HIV-positive civil service employees, as well as those who join the service in future.

    Borrowing heavily from the UN's International Labour Organisation code of practice, the policy has deemed the testing of civil servants for HIV as "criminal".

    According to William Ole Ntimama, the Minister of State for personnel management, the document, which affects teachers, local government workers, the police force, parastatals and all ministries, also bans dismissal due to being positive HIV.

    A local newspaper, The Nation, quoted Ntimama as saying: "HIV/AIDS screening should not be a requirement for job applicants, nor for persons already in employment. Personal data relating to a worker's HIV status shall be bound by the rules of confidentiality."

    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

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