Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy told the National Assembly on Friday that the proposed HIV legislation will address the contentious issue of persons knowingly infecting others with HIV.

According to the Health Minister, this piece of legislation has been drafted and was submitted to the Attorney General’s Office. Ramsammy said that a final draft will most likely be submitted to Cabinet for consideration by the end of the year.

Ramsammy was responding to a question raised by GAP/ROAR MP Everall Franklin about whether any legislation would be implemented to punish individuals who knowingly infect others with HIV. The MP suggested that this would complement the Ministry’s aggressive campaign that deals with reducing stigma and discrimination against persons infected with the virus.