World AIDS Day: Gombe to curb stigma with HIV anti-discrimination law
Gombe State Commissioner for Health Dr. Habu Dahiru, on Wednesday said the state would unveil HIV anti-discrimination law ahead of 2022 World AIDS day to curb stigmatisation which has become rampant.
Dahiru made this disclosure at the ministry’s conference room while briefing journalists, as part of activities marking this year’s commemoration of World AIDS day with the theme; Equalise.
The Commissioner disclosed that the law among benefits would increase demand for testing, adding that lives of state’s HIV-positive residents would improve.
He said, ” HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination continue to be pervasive issues in our society, impeding efforts to combat the pandemic via both treatment and prevention contributing to the state’s continued spread of HIV.
“To that end, we are unveiling a simplified version of our HIV anti-discrimination law today (World AIDS day), as a demonstration of this administration’s commitment to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.”
Dahiru noted that HIV prevalence rate of the state has declined from 5.8 percent in 2006 to 1.2 percent in 2021, revealing that out of 43,000 persons living with HIV, the state has identified and placed 70 percent amounting to 30,000 on antiretroviral drugs.
According to him, the state is gradually closing the unmet need gap for prevention of mother to child transmission, attributing the successes to the unrelenting efforts of the State Government, donor partners.
“We have noticed that the rate of new infections in the state is currently particularly high among young individuals aged 15 to 24, with girls being vulnerable. The rate of mother to child transmission of HIV in the state is unacceptably high.
“While best practices from around the world have revealed that for Gombe State to control her epidemic (s), the response must quickly identify every person living with the virus, link, and care for them, and keep them in care until the virus is suppressed, thereby interrupting further transmission, and controlling the epidemic,” Dahiru added.
The Commissioner revealed that to combat HIV there was need to start from behaviour modification, saying “It remains critical in the battle against HIV/AIDS. To avoid HIV, we should continue to spread knowledge about abstinence, being faithful and correct and consistent use of condoms. We should raise awareness about the benefits of HIV testing, treatment and drugs adherence as pathway to viral suppression.”
