Singapore will require compulsory notification for the spouses of HIV patients under the Infectious Diseases Act, Minister of State for Health Balaji Sadasivan told an audience of doctors recently. Under the new law, the infected person's consent is not required before his or her condition is made known to the spouse. Instead of doctors informing spouses directly, the task will fall to an HIV Prevention Unit, which has yet to be established. The move comes amid a sharp rise in HIV/AIDS cases in Singapore, with official statistics showing a record 311 new cases in 2004, a 28 percent increase from 2003. There are now more than 2,000 confirmed HIV/AIDS cases in Singapore.

Back to other news for July 15, 2005

Search the Newsroom archive