By Sunny Anderson Osiebe...
As
the world commemorates the 2016 World AIDS Day on Thursday December 1,
the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday called
for an end to all forms of discrimination against and stigmatization of
persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Saraki,
a medical doctor, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, stated that discriminatory attitudes in
society often leads to people being apprehensive of getting tested and
HIV positive people failing to access treatment — thereby, leading to
undue spread of the pandemic.
“We
need to acknowledge that reports have shown that stigmatization kills
people faster than infection,” the Senate President said, “Nigeria must
put in place a zero discrimination policy for HIV/AIDS and all health
related ailments.”
The
Senate President stated that the Senate would be looking into how the
HIV/AIDS Anti-Discrimination Act of 2014, which was signed into law
during
the former administration, is being implemented by law enforcement
agencies.
“We
need to send a strong message that people living with HIV/AIDS are a
part of our society,” he said, “By enforcing the laws passed by the
National
Assembly, we can prohibit discrimination by employers, individuals and
organizations.”
The
Senate President also said: “As we strengthen these enforcement
mechanisms to create more inclusion, governments across all levels must
work
with our local and international partners to build awareness about
HIV/AIDS, and create a more supportive environment that will allow those
living with HIV/AIDS to live fulfilling lives.”
More
than 3.5million people in Nigeria are said to be currently living with
HIV. This represents 3.2% of the nation's adult population.
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