By Adama Makasuba
First lady Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow has pledged support to people living with HIV and AIDS while calling for an end to stigmatisation and discrimination to the community in the society.
Madam Bah Barrow who was presiding over a stakeholder’s meeting stakeholder’s meeting on prevention of mother-to-children transmission HIV held at coco ocean hotel in Bijilo.
The event brought together stakeholders including government ministers, UN country representatives, health workers and some HIV patients.
Speaking to the gathering, madam Bah-Barrow said: “it is therefore my fervent hope that we will support and show solidarity to this community whilst fighting against stigma and discrimination directed against people living with HIV and AIDs.
I would like you all to think of the fact that they may be the ones are infected today but anyone of us or our loved ones can be infected in the future.”
She expressed dismay saying “it is rather unfortunate that sometimes people die from the effects of stigma and discrimination and not actually of HIV itself.”
Meanwhile, several stakeholders who spoke at the meeting including health workers urged people to for testing regularly especially women who conceived child. They also urged mothers to take their child’s for testing six month after birth.
According to them, despite human deficiency virus [HIV] cannot be cured but that it can be treated, as they urged for integration of those living with the virus in the society.
Three bold women who confessed of living with the virus called on fellows infected to come reach out to health centres and hospital for life treatment. The trio frowned on society notion on people living with the virus.
One of them, who confessed living with virus for almost 25 years said “anywhere I stand I would like say these that HIV is not a killer disease and it is not life sentence.”
