Mr. Raphael Godlove Ahenu, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Global Media Foundation, has stressed the need for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to intensify nationwide community awareness on HIV and AIDS.
According to him, this will help eliminate all forms of stigma and discrimination targeted at People Living with HIV (PLWHIV) and people affected by Tuberculosis (TB) at the community level.
Mr. Godlove Ahenu made known that, stigma and discrimination relating to TB and HIV constitute a complex barrier to HIV and TB interventions in the country. He explained that although there have been various initiatives to reduce stigma and discrimination in health facilities by sensitising and training healthcare workers to be key population-friendly, community-level stigmatisation did not feature.
“The situation has increased stigma and discrimination as well as violations of the rights of PLWHIV, persons affected by TB, and other key and vulnerable populations within the communities mainly due to ignorance.”
Mr Ahenu
The Chief Executive Officer opined that, providing training for community members on human rights, stigma and discrimination related to TB and HIV will eliminate ignorance and empower community members to appreciate, uphold and promote the rights of others, particularly that of their patients and other Key Vulnerable Population (KVP).
“General lack of awareness of rights and the need to protect the rights of PLWHIV and people affected by TB has increased stigma and discrimination at the community level.”
Mr Ahenu
Creating An Enabling Environment & Making Laws
Mr. Raphael Ahenu to a greater extent, emphasized on the need to create an enabling environment to promote access to justice by all, irrespective of people’s HIV or TB status, their sexual orientations, and their social vulnerability.
According to him, this is paramount in any intervention aimed at reducing stigma and discrimination and promoting the human rights of all persons, including PLWHIV and other vulnerable groups.
Mr. Ahenu, who doubles as the Brong Ahafo regional Chairman of Ghana HIV and AIDS Network, asserted that the increased awareness for PLWHIV and other KVP regarding rights and existing protections against discrimination, including the Patient Charter and the Ghana AIDS Commission Act, is very crucial.
“This is crucial in any intervention aimed at reducing stigma and discrimination and promoting the human rights of all persons, including PLWHIV and other vulnerable groups.”
Mr. Ahenu
The founder suggested that making laws to address human rights issues, stigma and discrimination interventions should feature, just as advocacy for enabling policy environment and guidelines are required for rights protection and push for the zero-stigma agenda. “Promoting HIV-related legal literacy and undertaking human rights and legal education through workshops could play an important role in changing the narrative,” Mr Ahenu emphasised.
The CEO consequently reminded Ghanaians that HIV cases are still increasing across the country. “I, therefore, urge all to be mindful of their sexual choices since HIV is still real and devastating many families,” he iterated.
It will be recalled that President Akufo-Addo in December last year, called on all Ghanaians to denounce HIV-related stigma and discrimination to pave the way for its eradication.
The President, in a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, revealed that stigma and discrimination were among the notable strongholds which perpetuate inequality and invariably diminished the ability of people to access HIV services.
The President made the call at the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) and 2022 World AIDS Day national durbar on the theme, “20 Years of a Multi-Sectoral HIV Response: Accelerating Progress to End AIDS.”
His Excellency, made known that his government is fully committed to addressing inequalities that hold back progress to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.” He further disclosed that efforts were being made to place people living with or affected by HIV and those at higher risk of infection at the centre by removing structural, social, economic, and cultural barriers to achieve the goal of ending AIDS in this decade.
“I, therefore, call on the venerated voices of our society, including traditional authorities, religious leaders, politicians, and business executives, professional bodies, celebrities, and the media to unite in a collective denunciation of HIV-related stigma and discrimination.”
Nana Addo
