Rights group leery of Uganda AIDS test law

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Human rights activists warned Friday there could be a resurgence of AIDS in Uganda if a proposed new law they say is flawed takes effect in the African nation.

Uganda's HIV-AIDS prevention and control bill, which is under discussion by lawmakers, would mandate testing for the disease but wouldn't protect against discrimination or preserve confidentiality, Human Rights Watch said in a written statement.

"These provisions will ultimately prove counterproductive to reducing the burden of the HIV epidemic in the country," the statement said.

Human Rights Watch concluded the testing, which targets criminal suspects in particular, will be perceived as a coercive act and will likely cause Ugandans to think twice about taking part.

The measure calls for confidentiality of test results, though Human Rights Watch said it was concerned there are loopholes that could ultimately expose HIV-positive patients to discrimination and even violent retaliation from sex partners.

The organization said Uganda had made good progress against the disease in recent years, in part because policies that encouraged community engagement and frank discussions about AIDS. The new law, it cautioned could "undermine the progress that Uganda made in the past decade in responding effectively to the epidemic."