AIDS Day: Physician urges collective efforts to end inequality, COVID-19
She appealed to the government, world leaders, health workers, organisations, families, employers and the genei public to contribute their quota towards eradication of the pandemic and inequality in the country.
According to her, pandemic thrives with HIV and inequality, saying that the pandemic increases the risk of HIV and mental health issues.
Abosede, also a Guest Speak at the lecture, said there must be concerted effort to tackle the pandemic, inequality and HIV together in order to save lives.
With reference to the World Health Organisation survey in 2020 , Abosede said that globally 36.3 million people have died from HIV related diseases, 37.7million people were currently living with the disease, while 25.4million of these people were in Africa.
” The pandemic resulted to increase in HIV/AIDS.
“Therefore, it is our collective duty to contribute our quota towards ensuring that the pandemic is over in order to end HIV/AIDS and save more lives.
“To achieve it, everyone should be carried along; no one should be left behind. Both developed and developing countries should collaboratively work together to put an end to the pandemic and invariably the HIV/AIDS,” she said.
Mrs Olaniyi Agboola, Asst. Director Nursing Services, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Yaba, said there was need to stop all forms of gender inequality in order to make success in tackling HIV/AID and the pandemic.
Agboola said that women, girls and the vulnerable people were at higher risk of contracting the HIV/AIDS, calling for an end to all forms of discrimination against women.
According to her, the pandemic and HIV/AIDS will continue to thrive as long as there is inequality, stressing that gender equality must encouraged at all costs.
Agboola suggested community-led and people-centred infrastructure, equitable access to medicines, vaccines and health technologies, people-centred data systems that highlight inequalities, human rights protection among others as some of the measures needed to tackle inequalities in the society.
Also speaking, Mrs Immaculate Nwonu-Ezeanya, a Clinical Psychologist, identified stigmatisation as one of the impediments to prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
Nwonu-Ezeanya said that stigma had prevented many people with HIV from seeking medical attention and treatment, thereby leading to increase in deaths from the disease.
“Many people today do not know their HIV status and are not even ready to know, while those who know their status cannot seek treatment due to fear of the stigmas surrounding HIV.
“Once there is stigma, depression sets in, leading to increase in mental health issues.
“If we do not remove stigmatisation, HIV/AIDS will continue to stay with us,” Nwonu-Ezeanya. said.
Nwonu-Ezeanya, therefore, called for increase in awareness and sensitisation campaigns on HIV/AIDS in order to provide the public with the right information about the disease.
Earlier, the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Olugbenga Owoeye, called on health workers to contribute their quota in creating awareness about of HIV/AIDS and the pandemic among patients.
In his welcome address, Owoeye said that health workers particularly the nurses were the first-line contact to the patients and as such were in better position to educate, encourage and support the patients.
He said that mental health issues has been worsened because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had also increased the chances of contracting HIV.
“The chances of increase in mental health issues are very high because of the pandemic.
“And those with mental health challenges are at higher risk of contracting HIV.
“As a health worker, it is your duty to sensitize our clients (patients) on the best practices to be save; giving them the necessary support, love and care,” he said.
