The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has disclosed that about 1,300 applicants in the recent security services recruitment exercise tested positive for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) during mandatory medical screening.
The Minister made the disclosure while appearing before Parliament’s Public Assurance Committee, where he responded to questions on the recruitment process and the medical assessments conducted on prospective recruits.
According to Mr. Muntaka, the medical examinations formed part of the standard recruitment procedures used to assess the health status and fitness of applicants before they are admitted into the various security services.
He explained that the screening exercise identified approximately 1,300 applicants who tested positive for HIV.
The Interior Minister said the findings highlight the importance of pre-employment medical examinations in ensuring that recruitment into the security services complies with established health and operational standards.
Mr. Muntaka did not provide a breakdown of the figures by the individual security agencies involved in the recruitment exercise, indicating that the number represented the overall outcome of the screening process.
