‘Legalise prostitution to curb HIV’

NAME OF STORY:’Legalise prostitution to curb HIV’

NAME OF JOURNALIST:Ntsebeng Motsoeli

DATE:19-25 May 2011

COUNTRY:Lesotho

THEME:sex work,HIV/AIDS

SKILLS:Language

GENRE:news

GEM CLASSIFICATION:gender aware

Maseru-Lesotho and other countries in the region should consider legalising prostitution if the continent is to meet its target of completely stopping new HIV infections by 2015,former Botswana president Festus Mogae said on Monday.Mogae,who is chairing Champions for an  HIV   free Generation,a regional initiative to fight Aids,made the suggestions during a press briefing in Maseru.

He was on a three day visit to Lesotho on a mission to encourage leaders to accelerate their response to HIV/AIDS.He was accompained by professor Miriam Were,the former chair person of the Kenyan National AIDS  Council and renoved public health icon who has won international accolades for her efforts to bring basic medical services to millions of women and children in Africa.

Mogae said criminalising prostitution would continue to hamper efforts to involve sex workers in the fight against HIV.”Stop police from chasing prostitutes away “,he said” Rather include them(prostitutes) in prevention programmes in order for us to reach zero percent infections by 2015″Mogae said prostitution should be legalised so that communication with prostitutes is easier.

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