Johannesburg, Nov 10 (ANI): Nearly 20 000 sex workers in Malawi have united to fight harassment and improve access to health care.
The grouping, backed by local and international non-governmental organizations, is the first formal alliance of sex workers in the poor southern African nation, where prostitution is decriminalised.
The country's sex workers are often arrested by police and charged with minor offences such as being found idle and disorderly conduct which carry fines.
"Time has come for you to discuss your issues, how the police and courts treat you and how you can access sexual and reproductive health services without any hassles," News24 quoted human rights lawyer Chrispin Sibande, as saying, while he spoke with 50 of his prostitute clients at the launch.
According to the report, Mary Kumbweza Banda, who chairs the National Aids Commission, said empowering sex workers could spell "high condom use, increased HIV testing, screening for diseases and increased access to anti-retroviral therapy".
The report quoted her, as saying that 'more access to the services will in the long run contribute to reduction of new infections.'
According to the paper, Aids-ravaged Malawi has over one million of its 14 million citizens infected by HIV. (ANI)
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