At an occasion that has Kenneth Kaunda, former Zambian leader as special guest, Jonathan Goodluck, governor of oil rich Bayelsa State pledged a N10, 000 ($75) monthly allowance for persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the State. With the allowance also comes a package that will see PLWHAs in the state access their drugs free of charge.

The event, Three Arms Road Walk for HIV/AIDS was held in the State capital, Yenegoa, June 28-30, 2006 to demonstrate the State resolve to tackle the impact of HIV/AIDS. Reacting, Victor Omoshein, an executive member of Positive Youths Association of Nigeria (APYIN) said-This is exactly what we want other States to emulate. Provision of care and support to PLWHA does not mean giving us rice and beans. We need to be given the capacity to provide for ourselves as being positive is not disability.

The governor in his reaction said that the era of stigma and discrimination of PLWHAs in the state will henceforth be a thing of the past.

The high caliber event has maverick Nigerian musician, Charley boy lead procession with Kaunda Motor Bike Show for HIV/AIDS. Several other dignitaries that graced the occasion include Senate President, Ken Nnamani, Health Minister Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, Kanu Nwankwo and Bayelsa born Taribo West, (both football stars) as well as members of civil society organizations.

Comments By: Eze U. Okereke

It is great news to see people in political positions identify with HIV issues especially as it concerns PLWHA. But I would rather prefer policies, backed by appropriate legislature, on the protection of the rights of citizens, irrespective of diseases or any infirmity. Discrimination in our private and public institutions and work places against PLWHA or any other conditions, should be decimated at the chambers of the state houses of Assembly and National Assembly. Offenders should be prosecuted subsequently and any companies or organizations that stigmatize against any qualified personnel, just on the basis of status of any sort (HIV and likes) must be blacklisted by government and other relevant agencies. Until such a comprehensive outlook is undertaken by government at all levels, stemming stigmatization and discrimination would be a mirage.

Free medical treatment, ARVs, VCT and a monthly take home package of N10, 000 each for PLWHA in Bayelsa state may sound great, but I have my reservations. Inasmuch as free medical treatment is commendable, and in sincere and true democracy, should be available to the general populace, a monthly take home package of whatever amount to any special group of people, creates a class that will invariably be counter productive. HIV infection is no more a disability than some other diseases that are even more lethal than the viral infection.

Management of any disease could be in the mode of prevention, control, or curative therapy. At present, there are no curative modalities for this infection but preventive and control measures are eminently applicable. So HIV is not as fatal or as hopeless as it is presently being presented to the largely uninformed public. In the history of man and evolution of disease, there is usually that interface between the emergence of the disease and the introduction of novel curative measures. We are at such interface at the moment for HIV infection. It takes different period for every disease. Most diseases we treat easily today were fatal ailments sometime in the past.

Nigeria government should begin to commit real resources in the area of indigenous research and collaboration with external bodies. Giving handouts and kind of social welfare to PLWHA is begging the question. Paradoxically it stigmatizes these people the more. What they need is not pity, but understanding of their families, neighbors, colleagues, employers and employees alike, etc.

The governor of Bayelsa state and other governors alike should sponsor executive bills to the House of Assembly on abolition of any forms of discrimination or stigmatization against PLWHA. That will be a good starting point. When offenders are sentenced to prison terms, then the message would be loud and clear that no one has any rights whatsoever to discriminate against any one. Thereafter other measures to cushion the socioeconomic effects of living with the virus would be better appreciated. In the meantime, it is important to state that living with HIV is not a disability. It is just a state of being infected by a pathogen and there are numerous pathogens on earth, some of which make headlines from time to time. So let us be careful how gestures like the one shown by the Bayelsa governor, are assessed. Some good intentions could run riot. By the way, how is it going to be sustained in the event of any change of government in the state?