The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), in collaboration with GEDRITE Nigeria Limited and the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), has launched a sensitisation campaign aimed at discouraging stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV in Lagos State.
Launching the initiative, the Director-General of NACA, Dr. Temitope Ilori, said the campaign is designed to increase public awareness and eliminate myths and misinformation surrounding HIV. She noted that stigma remains a major barrier to testing, treatment, and care, despite advances in HIV management that allow people to live long and healthy lives.
Dr. Ilori explained that stigma discourages people from accessing HIV testing and treatment services, thereby undermining efforts to achieve the global 95-95-95 targets and the goal of ending AIDS by 2030. She said reducing stigma is critical to ensuring that people are willing to know their status and remain on treatment. Her message was delivered by the Deputy Director, Special Duties, Mr. Rahim Mohamed.
She disclosed that the campaign would be taken across selected local government areas in Lagos, beginning with Ikeja and Alimosho, while Surulere and Eti-Osa are scheduled for subsequent phases. According to her, tackling stigma will make the target of ending HIV by 2030 achievable.
Speaking on why Ikeja was chosen as the flagship location, the Chief Executive Officer of LSACA, Dr. Folakemi Animashaun, said cases of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV have increased in recent times. She noted that Lagos State has existing laws and guidelines addressing HIV-related stigma, including the Gender-Based Violence and HIV Stigmatisation Intersectional Guidelines.
Dr. Animashaun revealed that over 20 cases have been mediated since the guidelines were introduced and disclosed that the 2007 Anti-Stigma Law is currently under review to increase penalties, subject to approval by the Lagos State House of Assembly. She urged the public to stop stigmatising people living with HIV and advised those affected to also avoid self-stigma.
Also speaking, the House Education Officer for Ikeja Local Government and Manager of the Local Action Committee on AIDS, Mrs. Rasheeda Afolabi, said HIV is not a death sentence. She explained that with proper treatment, people living with HIV can live normal lives, adding that women can give birth to HIV-negative babies through the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission programme.
Before the official launch, officials carried out sensitisation activities at Ipodo Market and Oregun Senior High School in Ikeja. The Acting Vice Principal of the school, Mrs. Aderonke Arisoyin, commended the organisers, describing the programme as educative and impactful, while students described the initiative as an eye-opener that taught them to show love rather than discriminate against people living with HIV.
Reporting by Julie Ekong