Skip to main content

Jigawa govt. lauded over HIV status law

Gov. Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State

Gov. Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State

The Network of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (NEPWAN), Jigawa chapter, has commended the state government over the enactment of a law compelling intending couples to know their status before marriage.

Malam Abubakar Muhammad, the chairman of NEPWAN, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Hadejia on Monday that the law would control the spread of the scourge in the state.

NAN reports that the Jigawa State House of Assembly had recently enacted a law compelling intending couples to know their HIV status before marriage.

The law stipulates three years imprisonment or a fine of N500,000 for any defaulter.

It also prescribes appropriate punishment for any person charged with discrimination, stigmatization or misgivings against HIV-positive persons.

Muhammad said that this would encourage people to go for HIV counseling and screening, and as well curb the transmission of the scourge.

He said that the increasing rate of transmission of HIV to many couples was due to lack of knowledge of their HIV status before marriage.

“The law will also control stigma and other forms of discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS, especially in the rural communities,” Muhammad said.

He, however, called for effective enforcement of the law to control the scourge, stigma, and promote care and support services to persons living with it.

Muhammad said that the association would collaborate with the state government to sensitize people on the importance of HIV screening to ensure its effective control.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...
Post a Comment
Read more