Islamic Group Says Stigma Is Still a Concern for People Living with HIV/AIDS
Islamic Group Says Stigma Is Still a Concern for People Living with HIV/AIDS
By: Femi Mustapha
The Association of Muslim Intellectuals of Nigeria (AMIN) has emphasized the need for religious and political leaders to disseminate accurate information and awareness in order to sensitize people against the stigma and discrimination faced by individuals living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
The National President of AMIN, Alhaji Auwal Junaid, made this assertion during a community sensitization event on HIV/AIDS and the prevention of Mother-to-Child transmission held in Kaduna yesterday.
Alhaji Junaid noted that the HIV/AIDS response required a multi-sectoral approach, as while the health sector is crucial to the cause, the non-health sector is equally important, thus justifying the need for the meeting.
In her remarks, the National President of the Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV/AIDS (NINERELA), Aisha Usman, warned about the dangers that stigmatization and discrimination against people living with HIV pose to Nigeria’s efforts in achieving the global goal of ending the HIV scourge.
According to her, stigmatization and discrimination discourage people from getting tested for HIV, leading to more people acquiring the virus.
“Widespread stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV adversely affect people’s willingness to take an HIV test. If people do not know their HIV status, the chances of those who are HIV positive transmitting the infection to their partners increase,” Ms. Aliyu stated.
“People living with HIV continue to face various forms of stigmatization, discrimination, and violations of their rights and dignity, all of which are barriers to scaling up access to comprehensive care, treatment, and support,” she added.
Similarly, a lecturer at the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization Afaka, Kaduna, explained that individuals with the disease can lead a normal and healthy life if they regularly follow antiretroviral therapy and attend their medical appointments.
She emphasized that they can even get married and have children after being counseled by their partners on how to live without transmitting the disease to their spouses who are not infected.
Islamic Group Says Stigma Is Still a Concern for People Living with HIV/AIDS
By: Femi Mustapha
The Association of Muslim Intellectuals of Nigeria (AMIN) has emphasized the need for religious and political leaders to disseminate accurate information and awareness in order to sensitize people against the stigma and discrimination faced by individuals living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
The National President of AMIN, Alhaji Auwal Junaid, made this assertion during a community sensitization event on HIV/AIDS and the prevention of Mother-to-Child transmission held in Kaduna yesterday.
Alhaji Junaid noted that the HIV/AIDS response required a multi-sectoral approach, as while the health sector is crucial to the cause, the non-health sector is equally important, thus justifying the need for the meeting.
In her remarks, the National President of the Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV/AIDS (NINERELA), Aisha Usman, warned about the dangers that stigmatization and discrimination against people living with HIV pose to Nigeria’s efforts in achieving the global goal of ending the HIV scourge.
According to her, stigmatization and discrimination discourage people from getting tested for HIV, leading to more people acquiring the virus.
“Widespread stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV adversely affect people’s willingness to take an HIV test. If people do not know their HIV status, the chances of those who are HIV positive transmitting the infection to their partners increase,” Ms. Aliyu stated.
“People living with HIV continue to face various forms of stigmatization, discrimination, and violations of their rights and dignity, all of which are barriers to scaling up access to comprehensive care, treatment, and support,” she added.
Similarly, a lecturer at the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization Afaka, Kaduna, explained that individuals with the disease can lead a normal and healthy life if they regularly follow antiretroviral therapy and attend their medical appointments.
She emphasized that they can even get married and have children after being counseled by their partners on how to live without transmitting the disease to their spouses who are not infected.
