NEPWAN Kogi Advocates for Anti-Stigma Law and Testing Expansion

The Network of People Living With HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWAN), Kogi state chapter, has called on the Kogi state government to enact an anti-stigma law to protect individuals living with HIV from discrimination and encourage them to seek medical care without fear. Mr. Jimoh Audu, the State Coordinator of NEPWAN, made this appeal during a round-table engagement with media practitioners and stakeholders in Lokoja, focusing on unresolved advocacy issues under the Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) project.

Audu emphasized the importance of expanded HIV testing for early diagnosis and treatment, highlighting barriers that hinder access to essential healthcare services. He noted that the CLM initiative aims to inform community members about the quality of healthcare services available, particularly for HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria.

Adekola Samuel Oti, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for NEPWAN in Kogi state, also called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to improve healthcare services for people living with HIV, TB, and malaria.