Efforts to prevent and control HIV in Lagos State could be undermined by persistent stigma, discrimination, gender-based violence and denial of essential services, the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency has warned.
The agency said addressing the challenges required stronger legal and rights-protection mechanisms for people living with HIV as well as survivors of gender-based violence.
The Chief Executive Officer of LSACA, Folakemi Animashaun, made the call on Thursday at the conclusion of a two-day Legal and Rights Protection Training for GBV focal persons, service providers and linkage officers held at the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Animashaun, in a statement obtained by The PUNCH on Thursday, said the connection between gender-based violence, HIV-related stigma and discrimination required a coordinated response involving government institutions, law enforcement agencies, healthcare providers, community organisations and other relevant stakeholders.
She noted that while Lagos had institutions specifically responsible for responding to domestic and sexual violence, LSACA also had an important role to play whenever GBV, stigma or discrimination was associated with HIV.
According to her, people who experienced abuse, discrimination, denial of healthcare or other violations of their rights could become reluctant to access HIV-related services.
She said, “Experiences of discrimination, abuse, denial of services and other rights violations could discourage people from seeking HIV testing, treatment, care and support, thereby affecting efforts to achieve better HIV outcomes.”
Animashaun said the consequences of such barriers extended beyond individual cases, as reluctance to seek testing and treatment could make it more difficult to achieve broader public health goals.
She therefore urged stakeholders to strengthen the link between healthcare services and social protection systems so that vulnerable people could receive appropriate assistance without unnecessary delays.
She also called for improved systems for documenting cases, making referrals and following up on affected persons, stressing the need to ensure that people requiring legal, psychosocial or medical support were not lost in the system.
The LSACA chief executive said effective coordination among service providers was essential, particularly for people facing multiple vulnerabilities arising from HIV status, gender-based violence, discrimination and other rights violations.
A facilitator at the training, Ochibili Chioma, also emphasised the importance of confidentiality when handling information disclosed by people living with HIV and survivors of GBV.
Chioma said clients frequently shared highly sensitive personal information with service providers and must therefore have confidence that such information would be protected and handled responsibly.
She urged institutions represented at the training to recognise their shared responsibility in protecting the dignity and rights of people living with or affected by HIV.
She also stressed the need for GBV survivors to receive coordinated and timely support, particularly where their cases required intervention from multiple institutions.
The training, which began on Wednesday and ended on Thursday, was aimed at strengthening the capacity of frontline workers to identify rights violations, understand referral pathways and improve access to legal, healthcare and psychosocial services for vulnerable individuals.
LSACA said the capacity-building programme was part of efforts to equip personnel involved in the response to HIV and GBV with the knowledge and tools required to protect affected persons and improve access to essential services.