The Association of International Community of Women Living with HIV, West Africa (ICW WA), in collaboration with stakeholders have called on religious leaders to shun the stigmatisation of people living with HIV/AIDS in worship places.
The Regional Director, ICW West Africa, Assumpta Reginald made the call during the four Day Dialogue meeting on Interfaith Leaders and People Living with HIV, Stigma and Fighting Together for Gender Justice in Nigeria.
Mrs. Reginald said that the meeting was to contribute to the formulation of strategies and pathways to effectively address and alleviate the prevailing stigma and discrimination within diverse faith groups.
“Regrettably, the places where many individuals living with HIV, especially women, adolescents, should find solace, the church or mosque often becomes sources of additional distress, these sanctuaries for prayers and psychological support from religious figures such as Imams, pastors, priests, our congregations, sometimes have negative sentiments,” she said.
She also pointed out that, “It is disheartening that some basic personal characteristics, such as irresponsibility as the cause of their infection, they encounter instances where their predicament (HIV status) is preached about, directly or indirectly, by trusted religious leaders, this breach of trust, induces feelings of depression and withdraw.”
The Regional Director said recognizing and addressing the issue of stigma and discrimination is paramount.
“Effective HIV treatments necessitate support and compassion from society at large, and especially from our faith communities. Such support is essential to mitigate the emotional and physical impact of these challenges.”
The Country Director, UNAIDS Dr. Leo Zekeng said that stigma and discrimination and other human rights violations and abuses in the context of HIV both reflects and drive inequalities that undermined HIV responses.
The representative of the UNAIDS Country Director, Oluwafisayo Fakayode said everyone, including people living with HIV, should enjoy human rights.
“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says everyone has a right, everyone is born free and equal in dignity and rights, regardless of status, health conditions, and other factors. What we all know that zero discrimination still eludes the world even our society, we increasingly see discrimination happening,” Fakayode said.
Fakayode explained that the central reason why the disparities in the HIV response remain so stark and persistent is that they have not successfully addressed the societal and structural factors that increase HIV vulnerability.
She added that decades of evidence shows that inequality is the key reason why the 2020 Global targets were missed.
“We have missed that opportunity and the 2030 target provides us with yet another opportunity as a people for us to end HIV by 2030. We must therefore as a people remain committed to our joint efforts and HIV as a public health threat by 2030,” She said.
In his submission, the representative of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) (Society for the Support of Islam”) an umbrella group for the Nigerian Muslim community, Malam Yusuf Saidu Mohammed said the programme will exposed religious leaders to ways they can come together to see that they make places of worship more serene, more accommodating, to their flocks so people can solve their problem and not compound their problems.
“The teaching of the Prophet of Islam said, we should simplify things for people, give glad tidings, don’t drive people away, it is when you bring people on board regardless of their background, regardless of their condition, sinners or not sinners, because if religion is only for those who don’t commit sin, then there is no any point of religion.
“They are mostly people that will be transgressing here and there, that is the work of religious leaders to be calling their attention, bring them closer, tell them what you are doing is wrong, encourage them right and try to discourage them and persuade them against doing what is right.We as religious people from JNI we have been taking similar messages down the drain to see that people down the strata see that people understand the place of humanity, you are first humans before you become a Muslim or Christian, so if you look at humanity, then you will be compassionate, you will be caring you will be loving to those people that may be below you in their situation or their condition, then you will have pity on them,” he added.
The General Secretary, Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) Very Rev. Dr. Evans Onyemara explained that the world Council of Churches has been at the forefront of ensuring that the issues of HIV is addressed, especially within the West Africa sub region since 2015.
“The Christian Council of Nigeria has been working very closely with the WCC in reaching out on issues of advocacy, making sure that society get the necessary information that we ought to have. We have been going around talking to different levels of like membership and leadership of the society especially within the faith context,” he said.On the issue of stigmatisation, the General Secretary CCN said it is a thing of concerned and they will make sure that through the women, Youth wings and through the national directorates of CCN, they will carry on the issue of stigma, reduction, and total elimination of HIV/AIDS.
“It is a challenge, but I can assure you that the CCN will take it squarely, even at the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) level and all other blocks will take it seriously and from this particular contact of workshop, we would make more impact in ensuring that we eliminate totally HIV stigma.”
The event witnessed the presentation of awards to people that have contributed immensely in propagating HIV/AID.
