Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, has agreed to discontinue the compulsory pregnancy and HIV/AIDS tests being carried out among students of the institution.
This decision was the outcome of a recent meeting with officials of the university by Hajia Aisha Dukku, Minister of State for Education, who led a delegation of the ministry in Abuja.
The delegation, which initially met in Abuja on August 23, had tackled the issue of discrimination and stigma brought about by the policy of Covenant University to screen students for HIV/AIDS as a prerequisite for gaining admission into the institution.
The battle to put an end to the compulsory tests yielded fruit after all the parties including the National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA) led by Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, Professor Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary of Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC); and Professor Aize Obayan, Vice Chancellor, Covenant University, met with the Education minister to examine the policy.
Consequently, the university agreed to halt the policy and collaborate with NACA and NUC to work out ways of mitigating the spread of AIDS among its students.
At the meeting, the parties arrived at a seven-point resolution, chief of which is that students or anybody else would no longer be subjected to compulsory HIV/AIDS or pregnancy tests in the university.
Although the institution had affirmed during the parley that the HIV and pregnancy tests were part of tests for both staff and students at the point of entry into the university, it however, stated that no student or staff had been stigmatised and discriminated against in terms of admission or employment.
The meeting resolved that the issue of HIV and pregnancy tests at Covenant University had been misinterpreted in the press.
They agreed that the policy of comprehensive medical examination at the university was in line with the institution’s "Total Man" concept.
It, however, noted that the issue of HIV and pregnancy tests was very sensitive and should be removed from the battery of tests conducted by the university at the point of entry and exit.
The university was urged to establish a separate pre- and post-test counseling service for its students.
It affirmed its willingness to continue with teaching of the system-wide curriculum on Reproductive, Sexual Health and Rights developed by the NUC for all universities.
NACA in collaboration with NUC promised to facilitate the establishment of a Youth Friendly Centre in the university to provide enabling and congenial environment for counseling and testing of students.
NACA also promised to provide technical assistance to the university in the area of development of HIV/AIDS workplace policy and providing linkages and information on all Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Centres in the country to the university.
The meeting provided an opportunity for all stakeholders to state their respective positions.