Ghana introduces anti-stigma provisions in new HIV/AIDS law

The Ghanaian government has introduced anti-stigma provisions in a new bill of the Ghana AIDS Commission to address issues related to human rights and discrimination, a senior official has said.

The new bill, which is currently before parliament, seeks to repeal and replace the old law initiated in 2002 and to address the inadequacy in the existing law.

Among other things, new provisions have been introduced in the bill to protect the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, establish the national HIV/AIDS Fund and to deal with related matters, Deputy Attorney-General Dominic Ayine told Parliament on Wednesday.

Currently, there is no specific national law to address issues of HIV/AIDS, leading to the abuse of the human rights of Persons Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHIV) in Ghana.

But Ayine said the anti-stigma provision was expected to promote and protect the rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS in Ghana.

Stigma and discrimination against PLHIVs remain major problems for Ghana's HIV and AIDS response.

Experts believe the situation, if left unattended to, would undermine efforts towards attaining national and international targets such as the new UNAIDS Agenda to end HIV/AIDS.

In 2011, Ghana joined the international community in committing to the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS and to the ten targets developed by the United Nations Joint Program on HIV/AIDS.

The national progress report, for the last five years, show significant progress in the key target areas of the Declaration.

Between 2009 and 2014, Ghana recorded a 30 percent reduction in new HIV infections and a 43 percent reduction in AIDS-related deaths. Endit