Search
  1. Home
  2. East Africa
  3. Uganda

Plans to make HIV/AIDS tests mandatory

    NAIROBI
    The Ministry of Health is considering plans to make HIV/AIDS tests mandatory for all pregnant women in an effort to reduce mother-to-child transmission of the disease, the "Monitor" reported on Friday. The newspaper quoted the Ugandan director-general of health services, Francis Omaswa, as saying that women found to be HIV-positive would then be provided free of charge with drugs designed to prevent mother-to-child transmission. Omaswa told a parliamentary committee on social services that the ministry was drafting a programme which, if implemented, would establish HIV/AIDS testing centres in all district hospitals, and allow them to administer HIV/AIDS drugs to HIV-positive pregnant women. Meanwhile, Minister for Health Jim Muhwezi told parliament on Thursday the government was planning to distribute anti-malaria drugs free on selected days, 'The New Vision' reported. He added that there would be special malaria prevention and treatment packages distributed to mothers and children, according to the government-owned newspaper.

    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