COWLHA & UN call for ammendment of Malawi HIV Bill

Coalition of Women Living with HIV AIDS COWLHA and UNAIDS have urged parliament to delete a section in HIV bill that calls for compulsory testing of pregnant women and their partners.

In a joint statement they say HIV bill is threatening Malawi’s certification of elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV by World Health Organisation.

Executive director of COWLHA Edna Tembo says imposing compulsory HIV testing will only push women away from health services and make them subject of violations as well as abuse.

“Such provisions undermine national effort to end mother to child transmission and reduce HIV infections among women,” says Tembo.

COWLHA has therefore asked parliament to pass HIV and AIDS prevention and management Act.