HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Over 50,000 People Living with the Virus in Kogi State
In a shocking revelation, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Kogi State Agency on HIV/AIDS (KOSACA), Ibrahim Anate, disclosed that over 50,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Kogi State. According to Anate, a total of 36,066 people living with HIV are currently receiving treatment in the state, while over 19,000 have failed to show up for treatment or counseling.
Anate attributed the lack of disclosure of HIV status to stigmatization and discrimination against people living with the virus. He criticized some health facilities in Kogi State for allegedly discriminating against individuals with HIV, stating that this cruel treatment must be addressed.
“We are looking forward to a situation where the same nurse or doctor will attend to all patients at the hospital irrespective of their HIV status. They should not be kept in a separate ward,” Anate emphasized.
The Acting Executive Secretary also expressed optimism that Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo will sign the anti-HIV stigmatization bill into law. He called on religious leaders to champion the campaign against HIV stigmatization in the state.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of Ninerela+ Nigeria, Amber Erinmwinhe, reiterated the organization’s commitment to ending HIV stigmatization and gender-based violence in Nigeria. She stressed that HIV is not a death sentence and that religious leaders must educate their followers on the dangers of stigmatization against people living with HIV.
The stakeholders meeting, organized by Ninerela+ Nigeria with support from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Center for Integrated Health Program, aimed to set an agenda for a faith-based response to stigma and gender justice in the context of HIV.
The alarming statistics of HIV infections in Nigeria, with 170,000 new cases reported annually, and globally, with 40 million new cases, highlights the urgent need for collective action to combat this epidemic.
