Jordan suspends recruitment of Ghanaian domestic helpers after 30 test HIV-positive

AMMAN — Jordan has suspended the recruitment of domestic helpers from Ghana for public safety reasons after some of the workers tested positive for HIV/AIDS, the Health Ministry said Monday.

The decision is aimed at preserving the health of the public and households that hire domestic helpers from Ghana, Hatem Azrui, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, told The Jordan Times.

Around 30 Ghanaian domestic helpers tested positive for HIV in the first seven months of this year, according to the ministry.

The Ghanaian domestic helpers with HIV are between the ages of 20 and 40.

“Those were tested in Ghana before coming to Jordan. They brought health certificates with them proving that they are free from HIV and other diseases, but we conducted our own tests to make sure,” Azrui added.

“We are in the process of looking into accrediting some certified labs in Ghana to conduct the required tests for domestic helpers wishing to come to Jordan,” said the official.

He added that the required medical tests will continue to be conducted for all domestic helpers once in Jordan to ensure public safety.

Jordan opened the door to the recruitment of domestic helpers from Ghana, among other countries, in 2015 to meet the rising demand.

The largest number of domestic helpers in Jordan are from the Philippines (15,636), followed by Sri Lankans (3,742) and then Indonesians (1,233), according to a report by Sisterhood Is Global.