A consortium of three human rights organisations in the country have called upon government to consider repelling laws that criminalise same sex relationships and sex work.
The call comes as the country commemorates World Aids Day on December 1, 2021.
According to a press statement issued by the organisations, the minority groups are usually afraid to come out to access services including HIV and Aids services a development which puts their lives at risk.
The statement has been signed by Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) executive director Micheal Kaiyatsa, Gift Trapence of Center for Development of People (CEDEP) Nyasa Rainbow Alliance (NRA) and executive director Eric Sambisa.
Kaiyatsa told YFM in an interview that reviewing such punitive laws will free the minority groups.
“To end the HIV and AIDS pandemic, it is critically important that we create a society where all people can access HIV and AIDS services without fear of arrest,” he said.
“According to UNAIDS, globally, gay men and other MSM are around 28 times more likely to acquire HIV than the general population and yet are much less likely to access HIV services.”
