RIVSACA Flays HIV/AIDS Victims’ Stigmatization

Stigmatisation of People
Living With HIV (PL WHIV) resulting indiscrimination and subsequent deprivation has remained a key factor debilitating the fight against  the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Executive Director, Rivers State Agency for the Control of AIDS (RIVSACA), Dr. Chimezie Okeh, stated this recently at a special world AIDS DAY (WAD) commemoration service held at St. Mathias Anglican Cathederal Church, Okomoko, Etche Local Government Area.
According to him, people’s perception of  PLWHIV are that they are unclean, promiscuous, sinners, leppers, outcasts, etc. They, therefore, believe that any contact with them (PLWHIV) would result in contraction of the virus.
This, he explained, is the result of ignorance, which culminates in unnecessary discrimination of  PLWHIV, and often leads deprivation and, on extreme cases, ostracization.
While emphasising on the effect of stigma and discrimination against PLWHIV, Dr Okeh noted that the ultimate loser is the society at large.
He stated that it is in recognition of this fact that this year’s WAD has as its theme, “Close the Gap: No More Stigma and Discrimination”, and a sub-theme, “Take Charge: Know Your HIV Status”.
“Stigma and discrimination against PLWHIV in our society is still a major problem. …the effect is that those who have it, now hide it because you don’t want people to treat you as an outcast. “They deny that they have HIV/AIDS because of the stigma, and by denying it, most of them do not go for treatment. And because they refuse to own-up, the possilbity of spreading it becomes high. This is where the society is worst hit”.
In his speech, the Bishop of Etche Diocese, Rt Reverend Precious Nwala noted that several steps had been put in place by the church to check increase in brothels in the area as a means of checking the trend of  HIV/AIDS.
Bishop Nwala, who was represented by the Archdeacon, Etche Diocese, venerable Oky Orji, said the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) set up a committee each in the six clans of Etche to preach against HIV/AIDS to commercial sex workers in brothels in the area, as well as educate them on the implications of contracting HIV/AIDS.
In an interview, the Etche Chairman of the Local Action Committee on AIDS (LACA), Mr Rowland Nweke, acknowledged the efforts of the committees set up by CAN, noting that is has result in the closure of five brothels out of a total of 63 in Igbo Clan in less than one month.
In apprecaiton of the work done so far by the Etche Branch of CAN, the RIVSACA boss, donated an LCD flat screen television to the host church.

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