Stakeholders task Kogi Assembly on Legislation against stigmatisation of PL-HIV

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

KOGI State House of Assembly has been enjoined to collaborate with relevant authorities for the passage and accent to the proposed law to promote and protect the Rights of Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) in Kogi State.

The call was contained in a Communique issued on Sunday in Lokoja at the end of “One-day Start-up Meeting and Capacity Building for Stakeholders on Improving Capacity of Policy Makers on Stigma and Discrimination Issues in HIV and AIDS.”

According to the Communique, the meeting was organized by Initiative For Grassroot Advancement In Nigeria (INGRA) with support from the Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF).

The Stakeholders expressed optimism that the proposed law would provide safety nets for PLHIV in the State, as they underscored the urgent need for expedited passage of the Bill on presentation to the Assembly and quick assent by the Executive.

The Communique said that the legislation would, aside promoting and protecting the rights of Persons Living with HIV in the State, uphold their dignity as humans with equal rights and opportunities in public space devoid of discrimination.

It held that the current modalities where HIV response occurs as a “Stand-alone Service” in our healthcare facilities was discriminatory, and Government must therefore take immediate actions to integrate it into the Out Patient Department (OPD) of the facility service provision.

The Communique observed that Kogi state with a 0.9% population prevalence of HIV, has over 40,000 persons living with the virus but regretted that Nigeria was not on track to achieve the 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets and 2030 Agenda.

It noted that Nigeria and Kogi State HIV Response was largely Donor dependent and not sustainable going forward adding that donor organizations had so far been able to put on treatment over 37,000 persons in Kogi state.

It urged INGRA, working with other stakeholders, to immediately make necessary arrangements to place before the Kogi 8th Assembly a Bill for the protection and promotion of Rights of Persons Living with HIV in Kogi State.

The stakeholders also called on religious and traditional leaders to use their exalted positions in the society to build support and resilience of citizens against stigma and discrimination especially in HIV cases.

They stressed that stigma and discrimination were pervasive in all sectors of the State especially in the Health, Education, and Employment sectors and urged institutions and places of employment to desist from infringing on rights of citizens in requesting for their HIV status.

According to the Communique, the stakeholders commended INGRA and AHF and their partners on intervention project, for embarking on the campaign to put in place an Anti-Stigma and Discrimination Law in Kogi State

The meeting had in attendance stakeholders from the Treatment, Care and Support themes in HIV Implementing Partners, Media, Civil Society Organizations, Patient Community, Religious (CAN and JNI) as well as Traditional leaders, government coordinating Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The meeting featured Plenary Discussions, Paper presentation, Question and Answer sessions and communique development and dissemination. (Ends)