Masisi tables National Policy on HIV/AIDS

LERATO MALEKE
Correspondent | Tuesday August 21, 2012 00:00

However, MPs did not have enough time to debate the policy last week Friday and instead Masisi deferred it to the next session - in October - including other motions for other MPs. According to a statement from BONELA last year the minister sought Parliament to adopt the policy. The statement signed by the Executive Director Uyapo Ndadi, further states that BONELA lobbied MPs to reject the policy since they felt it was regressive and that the minister withdrew the draft policy for further consultations. BONELA says it reviewed the draft policy which was leaked to them by an unamed MP, 'after NACA refused to provide us with a copy,' reads a statement.However, Ndadi says it has dealt with the concerns they raised last year, adding that this is why they found it fit to bring the draft policy to Parliament.

The statement says that the foreword by the minister on page 3 indicates that the policy 'takes cognisance of the fact that due to sexual orientation, some Batswana are more vulnerable to the devastating effects of HIV and AIDS'. BONELA on the other hand argues that the policy contents however, do not make reference to this issue and that it does not guide on how to deal with the challenges faced by sexual minorities. 'We therefore need to reconcile the foreword with the policy,' says Ndadi.Further he argues that Article 4.4 does give access to appropriate prevention methods inclusive of the prisons setting since they find citizens of Botswana therein. 'Are we also saying non citizens should not have access to prevention methods such as condoms,' ask BONELA.Looking at Article 4.5.1 BONELA says it assumes with delight that the policy covers all women in need of PMCT services irrespective of their nationality such that Batswana men who have children with non-citizens would benefit.

Further the organisation says the provisions in Article 5.2.1 and 6.1.1 exclude non-citizens and citizens couples, which therefore go against the spirit of couple testing as espoused in Article 4.5.3. In Article 7.1.1 Ndadi questions why a room is left for mandatory pre-employment HIV testing of non citizens and further wants to know if Batswana aspiring to work abroad are subjected to the same testing. 'Are we not creating a bad precedent hence the difficulty we have in condemning countries that test Batswana students abroad'Among other things BONELA argues that should it spell out circumstances under which HIV testing maybe required, adding that leaving it open may result in the provision being abused. 'We are particularly happy that the army service men and women have been removed from the previous Draft that allowed for their HIV testing,' further reads the statement.

Meanwhile it says it welcomes the move to include access to insurance without discrimination or stigma. However, it argues on how government intends to enforce this provision (Article 7.1.3) in the light of the fact that this policy is not legally binding on the private companies. BONELA says it has trust that MPs will fully engage with the Draft Policy and hence come up with the best policy possible to serve the nation and facilitate getting to zero AIDS deaths, zero HIV infection as well as zero discrimination by 2016.