Religious leaders in collaboration with People living with HIV and AIDS have called the need to end stigmatization and discrimination especially in places of worship.
They made the call in Abuja at a Dialogue on “challenging HIV stigma and fighting for gender Justice in Nigeria”
According to them, religious institutions have the responsibility of showing love to those living with the virus and to ensure that proper information is passed down to the grassroots to put an end to the transmission of HIV.
The Regional Director, International Community of Women Living With HIV, West Africa, Mrs. Reginald Assumpta, said that for the country to achieve zero new infections by 2030, religious bodies must create awareness on stigmatization and discrimination of those with the virus in places of worship.
“Our objective is to contribute to the formulation of strategies and pathways to effectively address and alleviate the prevailing stigma and discrimination within diverse faith groups”. She noted.
The General Secretary of the Christian Council of Nigeria, Reverend Evan Onyemara, said the council has been working with the World Council of Churches on advocacy since 2015, to ensure that the public has the right information.
The Secretary-General of the Jama’at Nasril Islam, Sheikh Khalid Abubakar, who applauded the initiative, highlighted the need to make the place of worship more accommodating for people to come for solutions to their problems.
