President of Zambia declares HIV testing mandatory
The Lancet - "The President of Zambia has announced HIV testing will now be mandatory in all government health facilities, causing concern among health activists. Zambia is moving forward with mandatory HIV testing for all patients who visit government health facilities, Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya told The Lancet, confirming President Edgar Lungu's surprise announcement of the new policy in mid-August. (Andrew Green reports)
The move appears to contradict WHO recommendations against mandatory or coerced testing. And it has sparked an outcry among international and local HIV activists, who are pushing the government to reverse its decision." (Photo: President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, Zambia/UN Women/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)