NOA chief demands enforcement of HIV anti-discrimination law

By Jethro Ibileke

The Edo State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Osahon Woghiren, has called for the enforcement and full implementation of the law on discrimination against people living with HIV and other communicable diseases.

Woghiren who stated this on Monday in Benin, during an advocacy visit by members of Access to Health and Right Initiatives (AHRDI/CLM), noted that enforcement of the law will curb stigmatization.

The team was represented by Mr. Kackah Alex (AHRDI Program Officer), Mrs. Ngozi Ekweage (NEPWHAN PO/M&E), Mr. Israel Orekha (Edo State TB Network Coordinator).

The visit sought to leverage NOA’s extensive grassroots infrastructure and civic education mandate to strengthen community-level messaging on AIDS, TB, and Malaria (ATM) prevention, anti-stigma advocacy, patient rights awareness, and GBV response in Edo State.

Woghiren who expressed regret that people continue to be stigmatized on the basis of their health status, noted that some families have lost their loved ones to the human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV), tuberculosis and other communicable diseases, resulting from stigmatization.

While commending the enactment of the HIV/AIDS Anti-Stigma and Discrimination Act as a significant legislative milestone, he, however, recommended that similar protective legislation be considered for persons living with other illnesses, noting that the full and consistent implementation of such laws would discourage discriminatory practices and create an enabling environment for patients to access treatment without fear.

“People are afraid to come out because of stigmatisation. If there is a law to that effect, I don’t think people like that will be hiding their sickness or their ailment. But because there is no enforcement, that is the reason why you see majority of Nigerians out there, they don’t go for tests. If they go for tests and they are told they have maybe HIV or tuberculosis, it will be easy for them to access treatment.

He pledged NOA’s commitment to amplifying awareness of free HIV, TB, and Malaria testing and treatment services across communities in Edo State.

Speaking earlier, the programme officer of AHRDI, explained the objectives of the CLM Project implemented by AHRDI under the Global Fund GC7 N-THRIP framework.

He gave a comprehensive overview of the CLM Project in the state, its mandate, implementation structure, target populations, and geographic focus in Edo Central.

The team had earlier visited the State office of Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN), where they provided an overview of the CLM Project – its objectives, geographic focus in Edo Central to the State Coordinator, Dr. Saliu Aidorolo.