Making HIV/AIDS testing mandatory requirement for recruitment will increase stigma — Dzifa Gunu

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Digital Centres, Dzifa Gunu, has criticised calls for mandatory HIV/AIDS testing as a requirement for recruitment.

He cautioned that such a policy could deepen stigma and discrimination against people living with the condition.

His comments come after a proposal by the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip and MP for Tolon, Habib Iddrisu, that HIV testing should form part of routine health screenings for employment in Ghana.

Mr Iddrisu, speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, December 18, said mandatory testing would help curb the spread of the disease and improve access to care for those who test positive.

The lawmaker also called for free and universal access to HIV medication, stressing that people who know their status are better positioned to manage their health.

“HIV should be part of the health screening so that we’ll be able to know, because when you are not tested and you don’t know your status, you will not be able to handle it or look for solutions,” the Tolon MP proposed.

The MP further argued that rising HIV cases make it necessary for individuals to know their status early in order to access treatment and support.

Reacting to the proposal in a Facebook post the same day, Dzifa Gunu cautioned that making HIV status part of organisational records could undermine efforts to fight stigma.

“The world is fighting stigmatization in a bid to reduce the spread of the disease. Why do you want to add to an organizational culture the HIV status of individuals?” he questioned.