HIV: NACA tasks Nigerians on Act against stigma, discrimination

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has advised Nigerians to take advantage of the 2014 Anti-Discrimination Act to know their rights and protect themselves from all forms of HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

Director General of the agency, Dr Sani Aliyu gave the advice during the commemoration of this year’s Zero Discrimination Day in Abuja.

Represented by the Head, Gender and Human rights Unit of the agency, Dr Yinka Falola –Anoemuah, he said “The Act makes it an offence to discriminate on the basis of one’s real or perceived HIV status. It also prohibits any employer, individual or organization from requiring a person to take an HIV test as a precondition for employment or access to services.”

Dr Aliyu said legal protection against HIVrelated discrimination was an essential prerequisite for an effective national HIV response, adding that the lack of protective law enforcement and existence of punitive laws can feed stigma and discrimination as well as hinder access to HIV services for people living with the disease.

National coordinator, Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) Abdulkadir Ibrahim said stigma against people living with HIV was still a major challenge in Nigeria till date. He said this is because a lot of people still find it difficult to test and know their status.

He said it was also important for those living with the disease to first address stigma among themselves so that the general population will not continue to stigmatize them.

Program Manager INERELA Nigeria, Nwakamma Ikenna said the organization is engaging religious leaders across the country to enlighten their congregations against stigmatizing people living with HIV /AIDS. He said in the last two years 150 religious leader in Anambra, Benue and Kaduna states have been reached with right messaging on stigma and discrimination.