Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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New Vision (Kampala) - October 17, 2008
Anne Mugisa
They asked the Government to drop the Bill which is currently before the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS.
The proposed law is aimed at criminalising deliberate spread of the deadly virus. According to Flavia Kyomukama of the Global Coalition of Women Against AIDS, the law is likely to increase stigma and fuel the spread of the virus.
These sentiments came forth during the launch of the national five-year prevention and care strategic plan of the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala on Wednesday.
"Why is government running away from its inadequacies of providing prevention, care, treatment and social support services? They must protect the citizens in a way that does not put to risk the lives of an already marginalised group, in this case, people living with HIV in Uganda," Kyomukama said.
However, the donors refused to condemn the Bill, despite the passionate attack on it by the Global Coalition of Women against AIDS. Instead, the Irish Ambassador, Kevin Kelly, who represented donors at the launch, said the Bill should be combined with provisions to protect those infected.
The state minister of health, Dr. Richard Nduhuura, said the Bill will not criminalise people living with AIDS but punish those who knowingly infect others.
The UAC, Director General, Dr. Kihumuro Apuuli, identified the biggest driver of the AIDS pandemic as being men, both married and single, who have numerous sexual partners. They are infected and deliberately having unprotected sex.
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