Stigmatisation: HIV patients seeks govt’s empowerment

The people living with HIV in Ebonyi State have sought inclusion in the ongoing empowerment programmes of the state and federal governments.

The group made the appeal through their state coordinator, Chukwuma Nwafor, over the weekend.

This appeal follows the disclosure by the Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi State Agency for Control of AIDS (EBOSACA), Iteshi Chibueze, that the number of known cases of people living with HIV in the state has risen to a total of 15,086, comprising 5,023 males and 10,063 females, as of the end of the second quarter of 2024.

Nwafor, expressing concern over the high level of stigmatisation experienced by his members, said that the employment and empowerment of HIV patients without discrimination would enhance their response to treatments and increase their lifespans, contributing to a better society.

The coordinator, who disclosed that he has lived with the virus for 24 years, urged other carriers to undergo regular tests for early detection and treatment, emphasising that being HIV positive is not a death sentence.

“I was diagnosed with HIV in the year 2000. This is my 24th year of living with the virus. I said 24 years, not days. The treatments have been helpful. The challenges facing this group are numerous, particularly stigmatisation. We thank the government for the drug interventions. I advise people to go for regular tests to know their status. Early discovery is crucial in the management of HIV. Once you are placed on drugs, that’s the end of the virus. Like I told you, for 24 years, I have been on my medication and living healthy. If you test me now, it will read negative. I advise people not to shy away from knowing their status. It’s no longer the old days. If you shy away, you will die prematurely when God didn’t assign it. Being positive is not a death sentence.”

“I passionately appeal to the Ebonyi State Governor, His Excellency Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, to include people living with HIV and AIDS in their various empowerment programmes. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. People living with HIV and AIDS need assistance. Our registered members in this state are more than two thousand. I also advocate for the domestication of the HIV and AIDS anti-stigmatisation law in Ebonyi State.”

Happiness, a 43-year-old mother of two who has lived with the virus for 21 years, encouraged women to modify their lifestyles and know their status for the sake of healthier families.

“I am 43 years old, happily married with two children. I faced many disappointments from suitors because I am positive. Now, I am married, and my kids are negative, just like my husband. The worst experience I’ve had is stigma. Once people know your health status, it’s something else. But I have the courage because I’ve come to discover that the virus cannot harm me since I am on my medication.”

“I encourage women to know their HIV status to protect their families and future. If you are breastfeeding a child without knowing that you have the virus, you are risking the life of that child and your own happiness. You may end up losing the children you think you are protecting. The best advice for women is to come forward and request the test. If you test negative, thank God. If you test positive, we are here for you. Take your medication, and that is all—you are free.”

Iteshi, however, urged everyone to maintain healthy lifestyles to reduce infection rates and go for regular testing for early detection and treatment to suppress the viral load.

He expressed satisfaction that the viral load of all known cases has been suppressed and cannot develop into full-blown AIDS as long as people continue to take their medication as prescribed.

“At the end of the second quarter of 2024, the number of people known to be living with HIV in the state includes 5,023 males and 10,063 females.”

“We have a total of 15,086 known cases and continue to discover new ones each quarter.”

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