RVHA Plans Law To Protect People Living With HIV/AIDS

As Part of moves to stop discrimination against those infected with HIV/AIDS in the state, Rivers State House of Assembly says, it plans to enact a legislation to provide penalty for any act of segregation against persons living with the disease.

The Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly Hon. Leyii Kwanee disclosed this recently during a media interactive forum in Port Harcourt, organised by Rivers State Action Committee on HIV/AIDS (RIVSACA) in collaboration with the Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ).

Hon. Kwanee said the Assembly would work with RIVSACA through the Eecutive Director to draft the bill, noting that there exist a preponderance of HIV/AIDS cases in the state and the House will identify with organisations fighting for its reduction.

The Deputy Speaker who is also the Chairman Parliamentary Exchange and Mentorship of the Pan African Parliament, hinted that issues of HIV/AIDS in Africa have been put in the front burner and soon the impact would manifest.

He therefore used the opportunity to appeal to journalists to utilize their unique position to sensitise the public for a collective effort to stop the dreaded pandemic.

The Executive Director, Rivers State Action Committee Against HIV/AIDS (RIVSACA), Dr Chimezie Okey, called on Media practitioners to show more commitment in the campaign against the descase, stressing that over the years, the media particularly in Rivers State have behaved as distant partners in the fight against the scourge of HIV/AIDS.

“Today, we are either infected or affected, therefore, it is incumbent on all to bring our efforts, resources, competences to bear in a collective fight to this problem of our time, Dr Okeh stated.

The Executive Director, urged media practitioners to put in resources rather than earning resources from HIV/AIDS, noting that understanding the position of the media was the main purpose of the interactive forum.

He opined that infection rate of the disease in the rural areas is almost as high as in the urban areas, emphasising that ignorance about HIV/AIDS remains widespread in the rural communities as they often blame obvious AIDS death on witchcraft or juju.

According to RIVSACA boss, the international community has envisioned “getting to zero campaign by 2015” which is further articulated as zero new HIV infection,” zero stigma and discrimination as well as zero AIDS related deaths.”

The State Chairman of NUJ Mr Opaka Dokubo, assured that journalists would do their part to disseminate information about the disease but expressed worry that the government was not doing enough to support the fight.

It would be recalled that the interactive forum was part of programmes to mark world AIDS Day Celebration 2012, in Rivers State.