More than 20% of Zambians have HIV

The Zambian army's decision to turn away HIV positive applicants has been angrily criticised.

Health Minister Brian Chituwo said the new policy was introduced because "with the excessive physical military activity recruiting HIV positive staff would be sending them to the grave faster".

But this reasoning is rejected by medical experts who say good nutrition and effective medical treatment, including anti-retroviral drugs, will solve this dilemma.

HIV positive counsellor Christine Inonge says the army's announcement will send out the wrong message to society.

"An HIV positive person is a person who can live for 20, 30, 40 years and still be able to work. We think it is wrong for the army to think like that.

"We are trying to fight this stigma in this country and here is the army now coming in with another big stigma."

Discrimination

The BBC's Penny Dale says there is no doubt that the cost of drugs is a key factor in the army's decision.

But Zambia's army insists it is not breaking any labour laws or violating any human rights by starting to screen new recruits for HIV - the virus which can lead to Aids.

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However, serving soldiers with HIV will not be forced out of the army.

Some 21% of Zambia's adult population is HIV positive - one of the highest infection rates in the world.

The United Nations Aids agency condemns forcing people to undergo HIV tests.

Sinead Ryan from UNAids told BBC News Online that if a person was physically fit but HIV positive, they should not be discriminated against.

She said that defence forces around the world have widely differing Aids policies, with some carrying out mandatory testing and others unable to afford to do it.

Some military analysts in neighbouring South Africa have warned that high levels of HIV in the defence forces threaten national security. Mr Chituwo also said that members of the defence forces were at a greater risk of contracting HIV than the civilian population because they spend so much of their time away from home.