HIV/ Aids : Kogi Youths Mulls fight against stigmatisation of HIV/Aids Survivors.
*As INGRA Holds Town Hall meeting in Lokoja
* Anti stigma bill awaits Accent.
ATABOR JULIUS LOKOJA
The Youths in Kogi state have resolved to use available potentials and resources in them to confront the scourge of stigmatisation against survivors of HIV/ Aids and other health related issues which has caused unimaginable mental illness, isolation and deaths.
The youths made the commitment to uphold the rights of individual to dignity and respect at a Townhall Meeting with the theme”Youths Unite to End HIV/Aids stigmatisation” organised by the Initiative for Grassroots Advancement INGRA in conjunction with Healthcare Foundation and Confluence Cable Television Network CCTN held on Saturday in Lokoja.
The Youths in their submissions agreed to be the change agents and ambassadors in creating awareness against the dangers of stigmatisation on HIV survivors.
The youths who were drawn from tertiary institutions ,the media and the Government noted that the solution to the menace is for them to escalate and be in the drivers seat in the advocacy against stigmatising those living with the pandemic.
They promised to be more involved in the advocacy using personal engagements with community members, religious bodies , institutions of learning and relevant stakeholders for a paradgm shift, as being a HIV positive is not a death sentence.
They warned those with penchant to derogate and dehumanise the survivors, saying that their actions have unknowingly caused many of mental ill health , deprivation; depression and isolation and deaths.
Speaking to Treasuretimes, the convener of the project, Katherine Odok, noted that her personal encounter with victims of stigma propelled her to commence program on Radio to draw the attention of the world to the dangers inherent in the stigmatisation of those living with Health related issues in the society.
Odok averred that statistics have shown that new infections among the youths have been on the rise in the country, lamenting that many deaths have been attributed to stigmatisation.
She revealed that sizeable numbers of survivors have experienced isolation, anxiety depression and ultimately death, and advised the people to accord love and dignity to those living with the disease.
She charged the youths whom she said constitutes over 60% of the population who have strength, intelligence and wherewithal in their favour to alter the hitherto labelling and the stereo typing of victims.
While charging them to invoke all available resources at their dispositions to change the mindsets of the people, advised for a leverage on the gains derivable from the town hall meeting for the restoration of hopes and confidence to the survivors.
She said this laudable objective can be achieved through awareness campaigns , social media discussions, and meetings with community members to remind them that HIV positives have equal rights to dignity and self worth.
According to her ” our anti stigmatisation bill is waiting accent by the government. When accented, it becomes criminal to stigmatise those with HIV/aids and other related health. We are galvanising young people to be the drivers of this change.In many institutions, this abuse is rampant, which could be attributed to lack of exposure and information to the dangers of stigmatisation have caused
” We need to raise the bar and bring the conversation to the forefront so that we can rededicate ourselves to the dangers of HIV related stigma, and to acquaint with the bill that when eventually passed and sign into law we will not be cut up with the new normal, and it was on these premises that we came together to sanitise our minds and to remind us about our core values so that we chart a right path to end stigmatisation of every form” She declared.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director, Initiative for Grassroots Advancement INGRA, Hamza Aliyu while calling to hasten the passage and accent of anti stigmatisation bill, charged participants to be the change agents towards eradication of stigmatisation in the society.
