This paper analyses the recent HIV-specific legislation of seven Central and West African countries from the perspective of human rights. These seven laws (the “laws under consideration”) are:
- the “Law on prevention, care and control of HIV/AIDS” (No. 2005-31 of 5 April 2006) in Benin;
- the “Law on prevention, care and control of HIV/AIDS” (No. 2005-25) in Guinea;
- the “Framework law relating to the prevention, treatment and control of HIV/AIDS” in Guinea-Bissau;
- the “Law establishing rules relating to the prevention, care and control of HV/AIDS” (No. 06-28 of 29 June 2006) in Mali;
- the “Law relating to the prevention, care and control of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)” (No. 2007-08 of 30 April 2007) in Niger;
- “The Prevention and Control of HIV and AIDS Act (2007) in Sierra Leone; and
- the “Law on the protection of people with respect to HIV/AIDS” (No. 2005-012) in Togo.
This paper also considers and provides comments on the model legislation on which these laws were based, the N’Djamena model legislation on HIV/AIDS (2004).