Marrakesh, Mar. 18 (Maroc-Actu) –
UNAIDS has welcomed the decision by the Zimbabwean parliament to repeal section 79 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes the transmission of HIV. The President will enact a new Marriage Bill passed by Parliament which repeals the section of the Penal Code.
“Criminalizing HIV transmission is ineffective, discriminatory and undermines efforts to reduce new HIV infections. These laws actively discourage people from getting tested for HIV and being referred to appropriate treatment and prevention services,” the agency says.
According to UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima, public health goals are not achieved by denying people their individual rights and she foresees that this measure will reduce the stigma and discrimination that “too often keep vulnerable groups of people from access HIV prevention, care and treatment services”.
UNAIDS highlights its collaborative work with the National AIDS Council of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwean human rights lawyers, parliamentarians, civil society activists and communities to advocate for the repeal of the law criminalizing HIV.
In this regard, he notes that the overbroad and inappropriate application of the criminal law against people living with HIV remains a serious concern worldwide. More than 130 countries around the world still criminalize the non-disclosure, exposure and transmission of HIV through specific or general criminal legislation.
Zimbabwe has made great progress in recent years, with UNAIDS estimating that 1.2 million of the 1.3 million people living with HIV in the country are now receiving life-saving drugs. AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 63% since 2010, and new HIV infections have fallen by 66% over the same period.