By Kenneth AFOR –
Fredrick Adegboye, a man living with HIV has urged people living with HIV/AIDS to conquer self stigma before standing against external stigmatization.
Adegboye made this known during a panel discussion at a program which was organized by HACEY Health Initiative and Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS (NIBUCAA) in partnership with Access bank to commemorate Day of zero tolerance against discrimination.
Adegboye who has been living with HIV for over sixteen years buttressed that “if you start to stigmatize or discriminate against yourself as an HIV positive person, the society will have every reason to stigmatize you, you have to conquer self stigma first.”
Gbenga Alaba, Executive Secretary, NIBUCAA in his opening remark stressed that there is need for love, compassion and empathy to be displayed by people in other to achieve zero discrimination and stigmatization towards people living with HIV/AIDS.
Mrs. Elizabeth, a representative of National Action Committee Against AIDS (NACA) revealed that there are numerous laws against the discrimination on people living with AIDS promulgated by the government; she charged the public to acquaint themselves of these laws.
She buttressed that contracting HIV is not the end of the world and that youths should avoid risky sexual activities which could them in infected with the disease.
Mrs. Ogbone Nmecha, Programme Officer NIBUCAA projected that within the next ten years the prevalence of HIV/AIDS will be less than one. Ogbone also revealed that as part of NIBUCAA’s activities for 2019, a trust fund will be launched and will be anchored by the private sector. She noted that the trustfund will make available commodities, test kits and Anti Retroviral Drugs to patients.
Also speaking at the event, Head of Sustainability at Access Bank Plc, one of the key partners of NIBUCAA, Mrs. Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan said the bank has been in the forefront of the campaign against the stigmatization of persons living with HIV.
While urging Nigerians to stop stigmatisation against HIV and AIDS patients, Mrs. Victor Laniyan said adopting a human rights approach to HIV and AIDS is in the best interests of public health and is key to eradicating stigma and discrimination.
The Zero Discrimination Day since 2014 has been commemorated annually on the 1st of March as a global event that promotes diversity and recognizes that everyone counts.
Some of the attendees gave their contributions and opined that health workers need more professional orientation on how to handle PLWA who come for consultation and counseling.
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