New Uganda Bill threatens progress on HIV/AIDS; impedes effective HIV response, violates rights

A proposed Ugandan law on HIV/AIDS promotes dangerous and discredited approaches to the AIDS epidemic and would violate human rights, a group of more than 50 Ugandan and international organizations and individuals said in a report released November 6. The HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Bill could be taken up by Uganda's parliament shortly.

The report, a 10-page analysis of the bill, was released in Kampala, Uganda, and Geneva, Switzerland, at a meeting on HIV treatment sponsored by the World Health Organization. The report criticizes repressive provisions in the legislation as contrary to the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, care, and treatment. The proposed law includes mandatory testing for HIV and forced disclosure of HIV status. It also criminalizes the wilful transmission of HIV, the failure to 'observe instructions on prevention and treatment,' and misleading statements on preventing or controlling HIV.

'We know what works and what doesn't in fighting HIV,' said Beatrice Were of the Uganda Network on Law, Ethics & HIV/AIDS. 'This Bill, unfortunately, is full of ineffective approaches that violate human rights and will set us back in our efforts to fight the AIDS epidemic and expand HIV programs nationwide,' she noted.