Move on mandatory HIV testing questioned

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Move on mandatory HIV testing questioned: State government urged to act

DIMAPUR, JUN 2 (EMN): The move of AVAHAN Project ORCHIDS to prepare all partner

NGOs to make it mandatory on 100 percent HIV testing annually in their

respective intervention projects have drawn serious flak from the state NGOs.

Coming out strongly against any such move, the North East India Drug Users Forum

(NEIDUF), Nagaland Drug Users’ Network (NUN) and Network of People Living with

HIV (NNP+) have termed it as ‘human rights violation’ which questions the

fundamental right of drug users.

Even though we may be drug users, we have our own fundamental right; we are not

guinea pigs just because we use drugs or are availing Drop-In Centre services,

the joint statement issued by the three NGOs stated.

It is in the universal norm and practice to respect human rights of all,

irrespective of whether one uses drugs or not, they stated.

With the mandatory 100 percent testing move clearly going against voluntary

testing, the NGOs have said the onus would be on AVAHAN Project ORCHID if active

users in need of service discontinue availing help and get infected in the

process.

Further, the three NGOs pointed out that the move also overrules the clear and

comprehensive HIV testing policy of the Government of India wherein it has

underlined that no individual should be made to undergo a mandatory testing for

HIV and that mandatory HIV testing should not be imposed as precondition for

employment or for providing health care facilities during employment.

Moreover, it said the HIV testing policy has called for adequate voluntary

testing facilities with pre-test and post-test counselling being made available

throughout the country in a phased manner and that there should be at least one

HIV testing centre in each district in the country.

In case a person likes to get his HIV status verified through testing, all

necessary facilities should be given to that person and results should be kept

strictly confidential and should be given out to the person and with his consent

to the members of his family, the joint press statement stated.

Disclosure of the HIV status to the spouse of the person will depend entirely on

the person’s willingness to share the information.

However, the person should be encouraged to share this information with the

spouse and family as it helps the person in getting proper home-based care when

he is afflicted with AIDS, it added.

However, in case of marriage, if one of the partners insists on a test to check

the HIV status of the other partner, such tests should be carried out by the

contracting party to the satisfaction of the person concerned, the joint

statement said.

Meanwhile, with the State government and concerned State AIDS Control Society

and state Executive Committee for HIV/AIDS already in place to give proper

guidance, Project ORCHID’s move in overruling the state authority to impose its

will has also been questioned.

The state NGO’s have impressed upon the State government to take necessary

action to prevent this injustice and human right violation.

http://www.easternmirrornagaland.com/index.php?option=com_content & view=article & i\

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_____________________________

Please contact Associate Professor Deutschmann (Email:

p.deutschmann@...) of Nossal Institute for Global Health of the

University of Melbourne, Australia for further details of the project Organized

Response for Comprehensive HIV Interventions in Districts of Manipur and

Nagaland (ORCHID)

http://www.ni.unimelb.edu.au/regional_activity/southasia/orchid