-PSI Manager says MSM, Sex Workers, others should have Access to Health Treatment
By Mark N. Mengonfia- mmenginfia@gmail.com
As discrimination and stigma present hurdle in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS in Liberia, an official of the Population Services International (PSI) has called on the government to protect the rights of all and provide survivors access to treatment.
PSI’s Program Manager, Cyriaque Y. Ako made the call recently, whrn the National AIDS Commission and partners held a training workshop for 30 Liberian journalists to build their capacity in HIV and AIDS reporting, with the issues of human rights, accessibility to treatment, and equity topped the training.
Mr. Ako, said if Liberia is to achieve the prevention approach 90, 90, 90 by 2020, there is a need for the Liberian government to protect the rights of all by providing them access to treatment facilitates.
During his protection, the PSI Program Director said that they as an organization are working to ensure that AIDS rate reduces or ends with a focus on those he called key population.
Men who have sex with men, female sex workers, drug users and transgender are key population, he said.
Although the issue of same sex marriage or men having sex with men has been a major point of contention in Liberia over the years and the Liberian law strongly prohibits such act in the society.
Participants at the PSI training workshop for Liberian Jouralists
But during Mr. Ako’s presentation he said “The Liberian government has signed protocols to protect the rights of all including MSM”.
He made reference to a protocol, which he said was signed by the Liberian government in Dakar, Senegal, as one of the instruments the government has signed on to protect rights for all.
With his head braided all down, Mr. Ako further said: ”discrimination and stigma are two key things that have caused setback in the fight against AIDS.”
Also speaking, the head of the Anti-AIDS Media Network of Liberia, Necus Andrews, said the National AIDS Commission in partnership his institution saw it important to train Liberian journalists’ ability to report on accurately without stigmatizing persons living with HIV in the Liberian society.
“We have not come to promote the act of gay activities like others have been thinking, what we are concern about is for journalists to report stories about HIV and AIDS with stigmatizing anyone living with the virus,” Mr. Andres said.
The head of the Anti-AIDS Network of Liberia said the national HIV response has always identified certain population groups including Female Sex Workers (FSWs), Men having Sex with Men (MSM), and People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) as the Key Populations in Liberia, the group he said has wide variation in HIV prevalence.
He indicated that the HIV prevalence in the 2013 IBBSS study shows that MSM have the highest HIV prevalence (19.8%) followed FSWs (9.8%), and then the uniform service (Immigration, Police, and Customs) and PWIDs each have HIV prevalence of 5%.
Quoting statistics available, Mr. Andrews said that other key populations that have HIV prevalence of below 5% are transport workers (4.8%), and mobile traders (4.5%). With prevalence just below the 1.9% in the general population, the youth, particularly out of school youth, are a vulnerable group for HIV infection.
“All these people are among us every day, we interact with them, and we all sharing the same girlfriends; so, it is just important for them to get access to treatment which is their right,” the head of the Anti-AIDS Media Network said.
He underscored the important role the media can play in the fight against AIDS. Programming is said to be a key part of their output and, indeed, their corporate strategy.
Mr. Andrews said it can be done in a number of ways, including giving the epidemic prominent news coverage, dedicating airtime/space to HIV/AIDS public service messages, supporting the broadcasting of HIV/AIDS special programming, supporting the development of AIDS storylines in existing programming.