The Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) has advocated for a Law that would protect people infected by HIV/AIDS from stigma and discrimination.
The group also urged the National Assembly to make the enactment a priority in 2019.
Lagos State Coordinator of the group, Mr. Peter Obialor, made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday, in Lagos.
According to him, if governments can come up with a law that will make it a crime to discriminate against clients, there will be hope and a sense of belonging to us all.
“I am pleading with our lawmakers to come up with a law that will protect and guide People Living with HIV (PLHIV) against every form of stigmatisation and discrimination.
“After the National Assembly has made the law, State Assemblies can domesticate it so that the implementation will be effective and taken seriously in the country.
“Currently, many children have stopped going to school because of stigmatisation and discrimination,” Obialor said.
He urged governments to also institutionalise special scholarship programmes for children living with the condition.
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He said: “Governments should grant scholarship to youths living with HIV and also come up with empowerment programmes for orphans and vulnerable children that their parents died due to HIV.”
However, he commended the Lagos State Government on efforts done to ensure the state Assembly passed a bill that would stop stigma on HIV persons.
He hoped that the bill could be fully implemented to end the increasing stigma on PLHIV.
He however expressed worry that PLHIV were being sacked from work.
He said: “The increasing stigma on people living with HIV is something very disheartening and has got to even work places.
“When a company or organisation finds out that you are PLHIV, you are finished because you are going to be relieved of your work.
“One thing people should know is that HIV is not a sickness that kills faster like malaria does, it is the fear that kill.
“Also, HIV cannot be transmitted through eye contact nor touching, it can be acquired through sex and sharing an infected sharp objects,” he said.
NAN reports that Nigeria is one of the countries with high number of people living with the scourge. (NAN)