HIV: Know Your Status, Fight Against Stigma - Soyinka

By Seyi Gesinde - 23.02.2008

Nigerians have been encouraged to know their HIV status, as it is said to be a booster to personal health. They were also advised not to discriminate against those living with the dreaded disease, AIDS.

The Executive Director of the Network on Ethics/Human Rights, Law HIV/AIDS Prevention, Support and Care (NELA), Prof. Femi Soyinka, gave this charge in Ibadan on Thursday.

He gave the charge at a capacity building seminar on fighting against stigma on people living with HIV, held at the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) House, Total Garden Area in Ibadan.

He encouraged individuals to go for blood test to know their HIV status, as such, according to him, would help boost their personal health and limit the spread of the virus.

Also speaking at the seminar, Dr. O. Akintunde, representing the Oyo State Commissioner for Health, said the Oyo State Government was fully in support of the campaign against stigmatising people living with HIV and the spread of the virus.

She said the fight against stigmatisation was a collective one which should not be left to government alone.

She commended NELA’s concerted efforts at ensuring that the community was mobilised, saying such should be emulated by other non-governmental organisations committed to the fight against the spread of the virus.