HIV testing should be mandatory for employment in Ghana – Habib Iddrisu

First Deputy Minority Whip and Member of Parliament for Tolon, Habib Iddrisu, has proposed mandatory HIV/AIDS testing for prospective employees, arguing that it should form part of the requirements for recruitment and contracting by both public and private organisations in Ghana.

Raising the issue on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, December 18, Mr Iddrisu said the growing number of HIV infections in the country demanded more deliberate and structured interventions, including workplace-based testing to help individuals know their status early.

“Recently, when you listen to what the Ministry of Health is saying with regard to HIV, it is very rampant now. It’s on an increase that many people are now being tested positive for HIV in Ghana than before,” he said.

The Tolon MP argued that making HIV testing part of routine employment health screening would not only help with early detection but also improve contact tracing and access to treatment.

“I think it should be part of the requirements in every organisation in Ghana. If you want to be given a job opportunity, you should be allowed to be tested. HIV should be part of the health screening so that we’ll be able to know,” he said.

According to Mr Iddrisu, failure to know one’s HIV status often delays treatment and increases the risk of transmission.

“When you are not tested, and you don’t know your status, you will not be able to handle it or look for solutions to it,” he added.

While supporting broader national efforts to address the disease, he called on both the government and non-governmental organisations to make HIV testing a mandatory condition for engagement, whether for employment or contractual work.

He also stressed the need to ensure free and accessible medication for persons who test positive, noting that treatment must be readily available to reduce stigma and encourage voluntary compliance.

“And medication, in terms of when you test positive, it should be made free everywhere, so that people living with HIV can have access to it,” he said.