Young HIV/AIDS patients call for strengthened policies on stigmatisation

KWANIA-Young people living with HIV/AIDS in Northern Uganda, under the umbrella of Uganda Network of Young People Living with HIV/AIDS [UNYPA] have decried stigmatisation and discrimination.

The young HIV-positive accused some of the medics of invading their right to privacy.

Oscar Ewa, an ambassador representing the young people living with HIV in Northern Uganda wants the government to consider strengthening policies on stigmatisation.

Addressing different peers at Ikwera Girls’ Secondary School during a recent sensitisation campaign, Ewa said HIV/AIDs patients, especially young people are facing stigmatisation, discrimination, and poor welfare.

“Due to weaker anti-stigmatisation policies put in place by the government, many young people living with HIV/AIDS are dying before their time. These people are abandoning medication as a result of psychological torture they go through, the torture resulting from stigma by some members of the community including some medics themselves,” he said.

“I was born HIV positive and able to know my status in 2014; I was discriminated against by my teachers and fellow learners. I dropped out of school S.2 due to the pain I went through. At first, I abandoned taking my medication but was later reinstated after serious counseling. It is against this background that I appeal to the government to come up with policies to save the HIV positives from stigma,” he added.

Victoria Apio, 19, a student and member of UNYPA said because of discrimination, she lives in fear after her HIV status was declared to her. She asked the young people living with HIV to disclose their status if they are to fight stigmatisation.

Molly Ojom, the head teacher of Inomo Primary School in Kwania district, said many HIV/AIDS-positive people keep away from the public due to stigmatisation and discrimination and die in silence.

“Stigma remains a great challenge faced by the positive livings.  The medical workers should use better wordings to the clients and if possible the Ministry of Health should come out with clear messages to counter stigma, especially among the young positive,” she said.

Waca Joel Jethro, a primary school teacher attached to Kwania and HIV-positive, asked others to take their medications as advised by the doctors. “Stigma is increasing because many people have refused to come out, just come out, take your medication regularly as advised by doctors to increase your life span,” he said.

Kwania District HIV Focal Point person, Samfan Omara said the district has embarked on community sensitisation to reduce the cases of stigma among the people living with HIV/AIDS.

AIDS is a leading cause of death among young people aged 10-24 in Africa and the second leading cause globally according to World Health Organisation [WHO]. It is estimated that the number of 10-24-year-old Africans is set to rise more than 750 million by 2060 if HIV/AIDS prevention mechanism is not taken seriously.

https://thecooperator.news/ngo-launches-study-to-tackle-hiv-aids-related-stigma-and-poverty/

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