2014 WORLD AIDS DAY…… Stigma and more (Nigeria)

The 2014 World AIDS Day was commemorated by various organizations, stakeholders and government, through several activities created to raise awareness and evaluate HIV/AIDS response performance of the previous year. In Nigeria, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) supported by various partners mapped out a week-long program of events, which culminated in a roadshow around major cities in Abuja on the 1st and a symposium on the 2nd of December; with the theme : Close the Gap : Zero Stigma and Discrimination.

Other activities by partners included the World AIDS Day concert organized by OROL and raffle draw prizes for people who got tested by AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

While it was great to see a large turn-out of people who wanted to know their status through testing, it was rather sad that the much awaited signing of the anti-stigma ball into law , was delayed yet again. The signing of the anti-stigma bill into law would have undoubtedly been a remarkable “gift” of commitment from the Government of Nigeria to persons living with HIV/AIDS or better yet the icing on the cake for the 2014 World AIDS Day commemoration ; especially since Stigma and discrimination continues to hamper HIV/AIDS response globally.

We may have commemorated yet another World AIDS Day successfully in Nigeria, but the unsigned anti-stigma bill still shows that we cannot go to sleep just yet. Partners, Stakeholders, and Civil Society organizations need to ensure that we have an anti-stigma law in place , long before the next world AIDS Day. It is long overdue.