| From: |
OGOCHUKWU IBEKWE [ profile ] |
| Subject: |
Legislation needed to deal with HIV/AIDS stigma
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| Sent: |
Jun 20th, 2006 - 05:32:23 |
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There is a need for legislation to address the stigma and discrimination often directed towards persons who have HIV/AIDS.
The lack of a wide-ranging legislative framework that speaks to how we as a country deal with stigma and discrimination in relation to HIV/AIDS, will present the greatest challenge to the future fight against the disease.
The stigma and discrimination have always been there, not only with HIV and AIDS, but they pose a big problem in terms of HIV and AIDS, because they stop people from getting tested and knowing their status. We want people to come forward, we want people to disclose their status and feel comfortable. A legal and policy framework where persons at the end of the day can have some sort of recourse and not only talk is necessary.
Such a framework, , would help the general public to respect persons living with HIV and AIDS, as well as give those persons the assurance that if they are discriminated against, whether it is with regards to employment, housing or even education that the offender could face some penalty.
In addition, if there is to be a widespread reduction in the stigma associated with the disease, the treatment programmed needs to be decentralized.
There is one centralized area for treatment and a stigma is attached to that too; so if we can decentralize that, where they can go to any private practitioner to obtain treatment, that would be ideal. What would happen is no one would be able to tell anymore who has HIV/AIDS.
I am hoping that we would decentralize that eventually, and then allow that gateway for people to feel comfortable in terms of accessing the service, as well as promoting more voluntary counseling and testing.
To reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS, the public has to be educated and not just bombarded with facts. Hearing and knowing is one thing, but feeling it is something else. So we have to promote a message that speaks directly to the heart about stigma and discrimination,
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IBEKWE OGOCHUKWU ALEXANDER,
CORDINATOR ASSOCIATION OF
POSITIVE YOUTHS IN NIGERIA
ANAMBRA STATE.
alexodegreat.tigblog.org
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