By Victor Otigbu 
Stigma remains the ugliest aspect of being a HIV/AIDS patient.  It is the main reason many people are afraid to see a doctor to determine their status. It made AIDS a silent killer, because people fear the social disgrace attached to it. For this reason, AIDS epidemic has continued to devastate societies around the world—Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations

HUMAN Immune-Deficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) has spread to every nation since it was reported two decades ago.

Africa, and indeed Nigeria, has suffered the devastating effect of the ravaging virus. But more devastating is the psychological effects of the disease on victims and the stigma  associated with it.

Recently, Senate President, David Mark, called on Nigerians to stop stigmatisation and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS. He stressed the need for legislation to curb stigmatisation and discrimination against people living with the virus. Stigma which is defined by Oxford dictionary as  a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, is mostly at play when discussing the pains and helplessness the carriers of this ailment pass through.

AIDS stigma and discrimination exist worldwide, although they manifest differently across countries, communities, religious groups and individuals.

Narrating the trauma which victims of stigmatisation face, Mr. Salisu Ahmed, a resident of  Lagos, said, “It was a horrible experience at first when I discovered I was HIV positive. By the time it happened, I was already married with children. When my wife got to know about my status, she separated from me because of the situation.”

Accordingly, the consequences of stigma include being shunned by family, peers and the wider community, poor treatment in healthcare and educational settings, tampering with fundamental human rights, psychological damage among others.

In addition, stigma not only makes it difficult for people to come to terms with HIV and manage the illness on a personal level, it also interferes with attempts to fight the disease. Instructively, the World Health Organisation, WHO, in a report cited fear of stigma and discrimination as the main reason people are reluctant to be tested, to disclose their HIV status or to take antiretroviral drugs.

Corroborating this, an  International Centre for Research on Women, ICRW, report found the possible consequences of HIV-related stigma to be, loss of income/livelihood, loss of marriage and childbearing options, poor care within the health sector, withdrawal of caregiving in the home, loss of hope and feelings of worthlessness and loss of reputation.

In Nigeria, a lot of efforts have been put in place to stem the tide, but it appears like a little drop in a mighty ocean. Both governments, corporate organisations and non-governmental organisations, NGOs, are still trying hard to handle the issue of stigmatisation and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.

Despite all these efforts, the treatment meted out on this group of people, has continued unabated. However, there should be a way forward. First, the United Nations should do more to encourage health research institutions across the globe to find a cure to this malaise, while governments at all levels all over the world should as a matter of urgency devote a substantial part of their annual budget  to  ministries of health to help  tackle all HIV/AIDS related issues.

In Nigeria, the Federal Government should not leave people suffering from the HIV/AIDS epidemic in their helplessness, just as they should  take a cue from Botswana which has the highest prevalence of the pandemic in the world.