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•Signs partnership to eliminate discrimination, stigma
From Godwin Tsa Abuja
Nigeria has announced plans to amend the HIV/AIDS Anti-Discrimination Act of 2014 to enhance its enforcement and ensure stronger legal protections for people living with HIV/AIDS.
This move came as the country officially joined the Global Partnership for Action to Eliminate All Forms of HIV-Related Stigma and Discrimination.
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Control, Amobi Godwin Ogah, disclosed this at a briefing organised by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), in collaboration with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and other stakeholders.
The engagement marked Zero Discrimination Day, a global observance dedicated to eliminating discrimination and promoting human rights and equitable healthcare access.
The HIV/AIDS Anti-Discrimination Act of 2014 was enacted to protect people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) from all forms of stigma and discrimination. The law prohibits employers, individuals, or organizations from requiring HIV/AIDS tests as a prerequisite for employment or access to services.
However, Ogah lamented that two decades later, implementation remains weak, with limited commitment from both the government and the private sector.
“We all choose to play the ostrich, burying our heads in the sand, while people living with HIV/AIDS continue to suffer multiple infractions without receiving the requisite support,” he stated.
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He emphasised that Nigeria’s membership in the Global Partnership for Action comes at a crucial time, as efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination must be reinforced.
“We must support advocacy to protect Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS from all forms of discrimination. Our committee is ready to work with NACA and other stakeholders to review the 2014 law, with the goal of making it more justiciable,” Ogah affirmed.
In his remarks, UNAIDS Country Director, Dr. Leopold Zekeng, highlighted Nigeria’s progress in reducing HIV-related deaths due to increased treatment access. However, he noted that the country has not made significant strides in eliminating stigma and discrimination.
He urged stronger efforts to fully implement the core objectives of the Global Partnership for Action.
Similarly, NACA Director-General, Dr. Temitope Ilori, expressed concern that only 18 states have domesticated the HIV/AIDS Anti-Discrimination Act of 2014. She called on more states to incorporate the law into their legal frameworks.
“If we don’t implement what we have agreed upon, it doesn’t make any sense,” she remarked.
The event was attended by notable figures, including Justice O.Y. Anuwe of the National Industrial Court, Dr. Ade Bashorun, National Coordinator of NASCP, Ms. Funmi Adesanya, PEPFAR Coordinator, and Mr. Hilary Ogbonna, Senior Human Rights Adviser at the NHRC, among other stakeholders.
The commitment to amending and fully implementing the HIV/AIDS Anti-Discrimination Act signals Nigeria’s dedication to fostering an inclusive society where every individual, regardless of HIV status, can live free from stigma and discrimination.
