President Goodluck Jonathan
President
Goodluck Jonathan has signed the HIV and AIDS Anti-Discrimination Act
2014, a reflection of Nigeria’s commitment to stopping all forms of
stigmatisation and discrimination targeted at people living with HIV.
A release signed by Chief Communications
Officer, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Mrs. Toyin Aderibigbe,
notes that the legislation makes provisions for the prevention of
HIV-related discrimination and provides for access to health care and
other services.
“It also provides for protection of the
human rights and dignity of people living with HIV and those affected by
AIDS in Nigeria,” it adds.
The new law is a source of renewed hope
that all acts of discrimination such as recruitment and termination of
employment, denial of access to services such as health care, education,
association and other social services will be reduced and ultimately
ended.
The law is the latest addition to
Nigeria’s commitment to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. During the
past four years alone, about four million pregnant women were tested for
HIV and now know their status, while 8.2 million adults in the general
population were tested.
By 2013, the number of HIV infections had
declined by 35 per cent and Nigeria is currently pursuing efforts to
stop new infections altogether. The number of sites providing services
to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV increased from 675 in
2010 to 5,622 in 2013.
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