HIV/AIDS: Agency calls for domestication of anti-stigma bill

The Plateau AIDS Control Agency (PLACA) has called for the signing of the Anti-stigma and Discrimination bill in the state to tackle the stigma and exclusion faced by people living with HIV.

The acting Executive Director, PLACA, Mrs Monica Palma, said this on Thursday in Jos to commemorate the 2022 World AIDS day with the theme entitled “Equalise to end AIDS by 2030″

She said that the domestication of the bill would reform laws, policies and practices to tackle the stigma and all forms of inequalities faced by Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV).

She said that the “Equalise” slogan is a call for action and a prompt call for all to work on the actions needed to address inequalities and help end AIDS by 2030.

She called for more funding from the government for the HIV and AIDS state response to achieve the 95-95-95 global target and epidemic control.

Plama commended the state government and its partners for its support.

Similarly, Plateau’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Nimkong Ndam, said that based on its data for the third quarter of 2022, “the state currently has 49,301diagnosed persons living with HIV and 49,031 persons currently on treatment”.

The commissioner represented by the Permanent Secretary Plateau Ministry of Health, Mrs Anesthesia Dajour, said that the state, based on its third quarter data have 11,346 persons on the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) ante-natal care services.

He commended the state government and partners for their unflinching support in the successes the state had recorded in its fight against HIV and AIDS.

It was reported that the state Ministry of health in collaboration with its partners organised a road-walk and free HIV testing to raise more awareness on HIV and AIDS to commemorate the day.