Uzbekistan considers mandatory HIV testing for migrants and returning citizens

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The “Milliy Tiklanish” Democratic Party has expressed its support for a draft law that would introduce mandatory HIV testing for certain categories of individuals, according to the press service of the Legislative Chamber.

The party’s backing for the measure stems from several key factors: the growing scale of labor migration, an increase in the number of citizens returning from abroad, and a significant inflow of foreign nationals into Uzbekistan.

In this context, lawmakers emphasized the urgent need to strengthen preventive measures aimed at the early detection of infectious diseases that may pose a threat to public health, as well as to curb their potential spread.

One such measure is the proposed bill mandating medical examinations for Uzbek citizens who have stayed abroad for more than 90 days, as well as for foreign nationals entering Uzbekistan for employment purposes.

The draft law outlines specific groups subject to mandatory HIV testing, including:

— Uzbek citizens aged 18 to 60 who have stayed abroad continuously for 90 days or more;
— Foreign nationals and stateless persons who reside permanently in Uzbekistan;
— Foreign nationals and stateless persons arriving in Uzbekistan to work.

The bill’s authors explained that the 90-day threshold was chosen because this is typically the period in which infectious diseases begin to manifest in the body. During discussions, it was noted that out of the 1.7 million citizens who returned from abroad in 2024, only 434,000 (about 25%) underwent voluntary HIV/AIDS testing, and 1,512 individuals were diagnosed with the infection.

Lawmakers stressed that the absence of mandatory medical screenings in current legislation is one of the main reasons for the low rate of HIV testing among citizens, making the introduction of such a requirement especially urgent.