… As state ranks 3rd In HIV/AIDS Survey
From INIOBONG SUNDAY, Uyo
Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has appealed to Governor Umo Eno to assent to a bill seeking to protect people living with HIV/AIDS from stigmatisation and discrimination.
The bill, which had since been passed into law by the House, is awaiting governor’s assent.
The urgency of the matter followed the recent ranking of the state as third most ravaged by the pandemic, with Rivers and Benue States leading as first and second, respectively.
Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Moses Essien disclosed this while delivering a goodwill message at a three-day stakeholders sensitisation and technical meeting in Uyo.
The meeting, which focused on reviewing and aligning the Akwa Ibom State HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan, was jointly organised by the state’s Agency for the Control of AIDS and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA.
Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, stated that the anti-stigmatisation bill was passed by the eighth Assembly and is currently undergoing judicial processes before being presented to the governor for assent.
“When signed into law, this legislation will protect the rights and dignity of persons living with HIV/AIDS and prohibit discrimination in public institutions such as schools, churches, markets and workplaces,” he stated.
The lawmaker expressed optimism that the bill would significantly reduce the stigma often faced by HIV-positive individuals, which he described as a major barrier in the fight against the disease.
He stressed that “the bill will play a key role in ensuring that those infected are not discriminated against, thereby encouraging more individuals to seek testing and treatment.”
The lawmaker expressed optimism that with legislative backing and sustained community enlightenment, the state could create a more friendly environment that encourages disclosure of status, care and support, disclosing that the House had made adequate budgetary provisions to support the state’s anti HIV/AIDS agency and other relevant agencies.
He called for stronger collaboration among government, civil society and the private sector.
