By Bridgett Milton
National Aids Commission (NAC) chairperson Theodosia Kolee says ending AIDS is dependent on how prepared and focused people are to address stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV, key populations, and other vulnerable groups.
Madam Kolee made the statement Thursday, 31 August 2023 at the opening of a two-day National Discrimination and Advocacy conference held at the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town.
She said the conference is aimed at bringing together key sector players and partners to discuss and brainstorm workable strategies on how to tackle societal stigma and discrimination which have undermined the national HIV response over the years.
“There is no better time for this conference than now, where the world is preparing to end Aids by 2030 as a public health threat,” she said.
According to Madam Kolee, stigma and discrimination remain a stumbling block in achieving different thematic areas in the country’s new HIV strategic plan and other policy documents to fast track intervention to end AIDS by 2030.
Since 2021, Liberia joined other countries in West Africa in implementing the global partnership to ensure zero stigma and discrimination in all forms by 2030.
This partnership was launched in December 2018 at the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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The partnership seeks to catalogue, accelerate, and translate commitment made by government to end HIV-related stigma and discrimination into measurable policy change and programmatic intervention.
Kolee further said it is her hope that this conference will [help] them think strategically about eliminating HIV-related stigma and discrimination that have persistently existed in Liberia.
Also speaking, Madam Wokie Cole said the network of persons living with HIV, LibNep, was established in 2011 to address the needs of people living with HIV.
She explained that the network has made great strides, but there is still much more to do.
She said stigma and discrimination remain significant issue in Liberia.
” People Living with HIV and key vulnerable population [are] still denied access to opportunities and service simple because of their status and identity,” she said.
She said they are at the conference not to only network, but their expectation is to passionately engage with these issues and reflect on key priorities that will enable their society become a more inclusive one.
For his part, Swedish Ambassador to Liberia Mr. Urban Sjostrom said Sweden remains a political champion and supporter of HIV prevention and response efforts globally.
He said the Embassy of Sweden is pleased to see this gathering of practitioners to reflect on the new global target for HIV prevention and response.
