Breaking HIV barriers: CHRAJ urges stakeholder collaboration, intensified public campaign

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has called for increased collaboration among stakeholders and an intensified public campaign to address the spread of HIV and AIDS in Ghana. Deputy Commissioner Mercy Larbi highlighted the need to break down barriers of stigma and discrimination that hinder effective healthcare access for HIV-positive individuals.

Speaking at a two-day training in Abesim, near Sunyani, CHRAJ and the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) emphasized the importance of stakeholder involvement in legal assistance organizations to support service provision for HIV and Tuberculosis (TB). The workshop, organized in tandem with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Global Fund, aimed to tackle stigmatization, discrimination, and human rights issues linked to HIV and TB.

Participants included legal practitioners, traditional leaders, law enforcement officers, educators, and civil society actors. Larbi expressed concern over growing stigmatization, discrimination, and breaches of confidentiality among Persons Living with HIV (PLWH), stressing that stigma and discrimination impede healthcare access and social services.

She emphasized the necessity of public education to dispel misconceptions and underscored the role of CHRAJ's Stigma and Discrimination Reporting System in enabling individuals to report abuses and seek justice. The GAC's Regional Technical Coordinator, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim Bambilla, noted the commission's strengthened partnership with civil society in the regions but urged public support to address ongoing challenges in the fight against HIV in Ghana.