JOHANNESBURG — 06 May 2010 (The Post online)-Namibian Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have circulated a petition, asking the Namibian government to end the forced sterilization of women living with HIV without their consent.

The petition was circulated among delegates to the AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA) training of trainers workshop at Lakes Hotel and Conference Centre in Benoni, Johannesburg by Veronica Kalambi of the Namibian Legal Assistance Centre on Wednesday.

It was signed by Namibian Legal Assistance Centre, Namibia Women’s Health Network, and International Community of Women Living with HIV, Namibia ARASA, Women’s Solidarity, Women’s Leadership Centre and Sister Namibia.

The petition stated that in 2007, reports surfaced of cases in which women seeking medical care were allegedly subjected to sterilisation without informed consent at state hospitals in two of the thirteen regions of Namibia.

“Since February 2008, fifteen individual cases have been documented, which appear to be merely the tip of the iceberg.

We, concerned citizens of Namibian Civil Society Organizations from around the globe, condemn the alleged sterilization of women living with HIV without their consent in public health facilities in Namibia and call for an end to this practice,” the petition stated.

The petition stated that numerous human rights had been violated, including those guaranteed and protected under the Namibian constitution and international treaties on privacy, equality, freedom from discrimination and the right to life.

“We call on the government to send a clear message that we will not tolerate the violation of any woman’s fundamental right to make a free and informed decision about her own body and health, particularly with regard to reproductive choices, and further that it is actively pursuing initiatives to end the discrimination against people living with HIV,” they stated.”

We hope this will mark an end to this flagrant violation of HIV positive women’s sexual and reproductive health and right policies and gaudiness to reflect the same, train health care workers on the right of patients including the right to informed consent, ensure all health care workers receive adequate training about the need for patient responsibilities of medical personnel in general, establish an effective and accessible complaint mechanisms for reporting violation of patients’ rights and conduct a public inquiry on health issue of sterilisation without informed consent and ensure that women who have been sterilized receive just and fair compensation for their loss, including  the option of sterilisation reversal.”

The CSOs requested the Namibian government to issue a circular to both public and private health institutions prohibiting the practice of sterilization without informed consent.

“These include, but not limited to, the right to liberty and security of the person; to health, to found a family, including reproductive health; to family planning, constitution and international treaties, “the petition stated.

Online at: http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=8726

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