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Minister
rules out compulsory HIV tests
The
Herald (Zimbabwe)
March 07, 2006
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=552&cat=1&livedate=3/7/2006
THE Ministry
of Health and Child Welfare has rejected a proposal by non-governmental
organisations to make HIV testing compulsory.
In an interview, the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Welfare,
Dr Edwin Muguti, said his ministry dismissed the proposal because
it violated human rights. A group of NGOs submitted the proposal
to the ministry last Thursday.
Dr Muguti said the ministry could not consent to the proposal because
they felt every Zimbabwean had the right to individually decide
on their health.
"We feel that this is a clear violation of human rights and we are
not by any chance endorsing this request," he said.
Dr Muguti said the ministry stands on the policy of educating the
public, saying once people are educated on the realities of the
virus they can make the decision to get tested from their personal
conviction.
"People should be left to make informed decisions and not to be
forced to expose their status against their will. Besides, there
is no need to scrape our ongoing programme with an unconstitutional
programme.
"Our policy is based on a consensual agreement before any form of
treatment," Dr Muguti said.
He noted that the Constitution regarded any individual above the
age of 18 years as an adult capable of making decisions. Dr Muguti
said that the Voluntary Testing and Counseling programme was producing
sterling results without forcing people to get tested.
"These organisations should also find out how well our voluntary
testing is doing for them to acknowledge that there is no need to
force people to get tested against their will," he said.
Efforts to get clarification from some of the NGOs who made the
proposal were fruitless as they referred Chronicle to their spokesperson,
who was said to be out of the country on duty.
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