19 February 2008
Maputo — Representatives from Mozambican civil society organizations on Tuesday analysed proposals to improve a bill to protect people infected or affected by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, in order to bring it into line with the model adopted in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The Tuesday meeting, chaired by MONASO, the Mozambican Network of Associations against HIV/AIDS, will make use of the comments and suggestions presented to produce an addendum to the draft bill that was submitted to the parliament two years ago.
MONASO chairperson Alice Ripanga said that the idea to improve the bill came from the National Parliamentary Group for the Prevention and Fight Against HIV/AIDS.
"From the suggestions we received today we are going to review and amend the bill during the coming week and, by the end of it we will submit the document to the parliamentary group so that it is included in the matters for discussion in the coming parliamentary sitting", she said.
MONASO consultant Duarte Casimiro added that the idea behind amending the document is to improve its form and contents with regard to matters that are not covered by the existing law of 2002, which only covers HIV-positive workers, and discrimination at the workplace, but which are contained in the SADC Model Law on HIV.
Some of the suggestions are about respect and protection of human rights, not only of those infected but also of those who live with the infected people in the same family, community, work place or the same public environment.
In addition to the rights of workers living with HIV/AIDS, the amendments stress the protection of the rights of children and adolescents, women and girls, pregnant women, prisoners and other people infected by the virus.
Another suggestion that was most welcome by the participants was criminalization of any stigmatization, discrimination and intentional transmission of the virus.
The meeting recognised that guaranteeing respect for the rights of HIV-positive people requires enforcement of the law by the state, and also the involvement in the fight against discrimination of employers, the community, traditional and conventional health workers and families.
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