HIV testing age reduced to 16 years

The new age of consent for HIV testing is now 16 years instead of 21 years, Minister of Finance and Development Planning Kenneth Matambo has said.

This change has been observed in the revised national HIV/AIDS policy, which was approved by Parliament in August last year.  He said that a major threat to gains in combating HIV/AIDS is the decline in donor funding. This means that government will be faced with increasing financial responsibilities to fill in the financing gap.  Further, he pointed that the government is seeking alternative ways to fund the health sector.

 He said that the process of developing a health financing strategy that will propose alternative ways of funding the health care system in the country given the continued budgetary situation is underway. The strategy will explore ways to contain costs in the health delivery services and promote efficiency.

Editor's Comment
Gov't must empower DCEC urgently

As the new Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government takes charge, it must act decisively to equip the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) with the tools, laws, and resources needed to combat graft. The time for half-measures is over. DCEC Director-General, Botlhale Makgekgenene’s, recent address to the Public Accounts Committee paints a stark picture. Over five years, leadership instability, chronic underfunding and weak...

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