A bill prohibiting discrimination against persons living with the deadly HIV and AIDS has been passed by the Nigerian Senate. The bill stipulates that any person or organisation discriminating against such people could be fined up to N1 million or land in jail.
The Senate President, David Mark, while commenting on the bill said, “protect the human rights and dignity of people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS and other related matters 2014 read a third time and passed.”
Mark also observed that, “HIV and AIDS is not something that people should be ashamed of anymore because we know it does exist. It is better that we take care and look after those who are affected by it, rather than discriminate against them.”
“The proposed law will reduce the burden of living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria while promoting appropriate and effective ways of managing HIV in the workplace, community institutions and other places of human endeavour,” the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, noted while commenting on the bill.
Ifeanyi Okowa added that, “people living with or affected by HIV have been discriminated against and stimagtised in the work place, in institutions of learning and even in communities.”
