Everybodi must do HIV test for Zambia

Zambia health minister, Chitalu Chilufya, don threaten to close down private health centres wey no dey do compulsory HIV tests for all their patients.

HIV na the Human Immunodeficiency Virus - people fit get am through sex, or exchange of infected blood; the disease never get cure.

Na early dis week President Edgar Lungu talk say HIV testing, counselling and treatment go be something wey all the government hospitals and clinics must do.

This one mean say everybodi wey enter hospitals for Zambia go must do HIV test. Tori wey BBC Pidgin dey get show say e be like the order don begin shift to include private hospitals and health centres.

Mr Chilufuya don come out defend this one, say e dey better for people to know their status whether dem get HIV or not, so that dem go fit begin take medicine wey go make dem live long, in case dem get HIV.

Im say more than 80% of cases of people wey dem dey admit to the biggest referral hospital inside Zambia, dey connected to the deadly virus.

President Lungu don say dis compulsory testing go help make Zambia dey free from the disease by the year 2030.

All dis one no be wetin opposition and rights groups for Zambia want hear. Dem talk say to force people to do HIV test go increase stigma - people go dey run away from those wey dem know say get HIV - while everybodi go dey fear to go hospital.

Meanwhile, the United Nations don talk say more than 14% of Zambia population dey HIV positive, and na women get the disease more than men.