Saturday 25 January

HIV Counseling and Testing

How we can improve HIV testing and counselling

On Friday 16 March 2012, health workers, counselling organisations, activists and a representative of the National Department of Health met in Hillbrow to discuss how to improve HIV testing and counselling. The meeting was hosted by the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society, the Treatment Action Campaign and SECTION27.

The participants have produced a joint statement on “How we can improve HIV testing and counselling”. The statement contains a number of recommendations regarding testing and counselling of children, the role of counsellors in the public health system and self-testing, amongst others.

For the full statement and a full list of presentations and documentation from the meeting click “read more” below

By Section27, ago

A bold, courageous move on HIV testing

The following opinion piece by SECTION27 Senior Researcher Jonathan Berger was published on Health-e and in The Star on 11 March 2011.
For too long the debate about HIV testing and human rights has largely focused on the implications of the former for the latter: how testing has the potential to undermine rights. Given the experiences of many people living with HIV, this is understandable: many have lost – or been denied – jobs; insurance policies have been denied routinely; access to health care services has often been limited.

By Section27, ago

SECTION27, TAC, YN, EE, welcomes HCT for teens but cautions on approach

We support implementation of a programme of HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) for Teens … but proper planning and protection of human rights of learners is essential.

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), The Yezingane Network (YN) , Equal Education and SECTION27 welcome the Department of Health’s plans to extend HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign to children 12 years and older.

By Section27, ago

Meeting the challenges of HIV treatment and prevention through independent mobilisation and work through the SA National AIDS Council (SANAC)

On 16 and 17 September 2010, over 60 members of civil society organisations and trade unions met to discuss their work and their efforts – independently and through the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) – to strengthen the national response to HIV and to achieve the goals of the National Strategic Plan (NSP). The aim of the meeting was to define a new agenda going forward for civil society activism both within and independent of SANAC and to focus on our human right to health.

By Section27, ago

South African Security Forces Union and Others v Surgeon General and Others

On 15 and 16 May 2008, a ground breaking case on the constitutionality of HIV testing policies that are used to exclude ALL people with HIV from recruitment to, promotion or foreign deployment in the SA National Defence Force was heard in the Pretoria High Court.

The court was asked to declare the blanket exclusion unconstitutional, order the appointment or promotion of individual’s adversely affected by the policy and to order the SANDF to devise a new policy within six months.

By Section27, ago
WDA