The United Nations (UN) has called on remaining state governments in Nigeria that are yet to domesticate and implement the HIV/AIDS Anti Discrimination Act 2014 to immediate do so in order to break down the wall of discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.
UNAIDS Country Director, Dr. Leopold Zekeng made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during the commemoration of Zero Discrimination Day 2024, with the theme, “To protect Everyone’s Health, Protect Everyone’s Rights.”
He revealed that no fewer than 18 States in Nigeria are yet to domesticate and implement Anti Discrimination Act, hence the call on them to urgently domesticate the legal instrument.
The HIV/AIDS Anti-Discrimination Act 2014 makes it illegal to discriminate against people based on their HIV status, and also prohibits any employer, individual or organisation from requiring a person to take an HIV test as a precondition for employment or access to services, amongst several other provisions.
Zekeng, also stressed the need for increased advocacy, and protection of the rights of those living with HIV.
Zekeng, while noting that Nigeria has made remarkable progress in the area of treatment and HIV related death, however lamented that appreciable progress has not been replicated in the area of discrimination against those living with the disease.
He decried that despite this progress, a lot more work still need to be done to get to the desired destination, stressing that discrimination in the context of HIV management will prevent patient from seeking treatment.
He said the Zero Discrimination Day was instituted 10 years ago, to provide a platform to raise awareness and proffer solutions to discrimination and rights issues.
In his goodwill message, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas while noting that the occasion should not be limited to a mere observance; said it should be used for advocacy where a poignant call is made for action, and a resolute stand against the pervasive scourge of discrimination that continues to afflict individuals and communities around the globe is taken.
The Speaker who was represented by the Chairman House Committee on Civil Society and Development Matters, Hon. Victor Obuzor, said: “As we all are aware, discrimination, in all its insidious forms, strikes at the very heart of our humanity. It continues to fracture societies, stifle progress, and undermine the fundamental principles of equality and justice upon which our collective aspirations for a better world are built. Regardless of the form that discrimination takes, whether it be racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, albinism, or any other form of prejudice, discrimination erects barriers that deny individuals their inherent dignity and rights”.
He reaffirmed the unwavering resolve of the 10th House to forge a future where diversity is celebrated and inclusion is the norm, but discrimination is relegated to the darkest corners of history.
The Director General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr. Gambo Aliyu, said that the country cannot end the scourge of HIV without ending discrimination against people living with it.
He noted that people will be more confident to come out to access treatment if they are sure that they are not going to be discriminated against.
He however, promised to continue to engage critical stakeholders in the pandemic ecosystem to ensure that discrimination is permanently dismantled.
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
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