UGANDA HIV BILL PASSED

UGANDA HIV BILL PASSED

LEAD

A new HIV Prevention and Control Bill passed in Uganda is attracting criticism from some activists. The legislation criminalises anyone who knowingly transmits the virus and can lead to ten year prison sentences. Leon Ssenyange reports from Kampala

IN: The controversial HIV/AIDS.....
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2mins 10sec

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VO1: The controversial HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control bill criminalizes intentional and attempted HIV transmission.

VO2: Chris Baryomunsi, a Ugandan member of parliament says there was a need for new legislation.

SOT1 – CHRIS BARYOMUNSI
We did it to supplement the interventions with an enabling law..some countries begun with an enabling law and then implementation programmes..but then they did not know what it takes to address HIV/AIDS

VO3:A clause in the bill prescribes a maximum 10 years in jail, a fine of over 1,900 dollars or both for anyone who intentionally transmits HIV/AIDS to another person.

VO4:And it has been welcomed by many.

SOT2 – OKELLO BERNARD
If it is not intentional. That is ok...but if its intentional,..then I support the legislators..
SOT3 – CHRISTINE NAKASIRYE
I think they should have given a harder punishment..like life imprisonment

VO5: The bill also requires medical workers to disclose the status of HIV positive people without their consent.
Parents too will be compelled to reveal their status to their children.

VO6: Lillian Mworeko, an HIV/AIDS activist, however, says government should provide more services to deal with HIV.

SOT4: LILLIAN MWOREKO, HIV/AIDS Activist
We cannot deal with an epidemic with a legislation..but we can only with the epidemic the way we have been dealing with it..by scaling up the services. Coming up with a law that has such closes..we are creating an environment that is going to be chaotic..because how are you going to tell their was intentional transmission.

VO7: Even with Uganda’s HIV campaigns over the last decade emphasizing abstinence, being faithful and condom use, a National AIDS Indicator Survey in 2011 showed HIV prevalence rates in the country had increased with over 130,000 new infections annually.

VO8: Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni has untill August to sign the bill into law.