Nigeria: HIV Status Not Food Safety Risk, Lsaca Tells Food Sector Stakeholder
[Vanguard] The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, LSACA, has urged employers and workers in the food sector to end stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV, stressing that the virus cannot be transmitted through the preparation, handling or serving of food.
The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) has called on food sector employers and workers to end stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV (HIV). LSACA emphasized that HIV cannot be transmitted through food preparation, handling, or serving. This warning was delivered during a meeting for food handlers and associations to discuss HIV-related workplace practices and legal provisions.
LSACA's CEO, Dr. Folakemi Animashaun, affirmed that there is no scientific basis for excluding HIV-positive individuals from food-related jobs. She stressed that a person's HIV status does not make them unsafe around food, urging stakeholders to rely on scientific evidence instead of fear or misinformation. Animashaun cautioned against using food safety and medical fitness requirements as a basis for discriminatory HIV screening or employment exclusion.
She also emphasized the importance of protecting the confidentiality of workers' HIV-related information, obtained with proper consent and respect. LSACA's Director of Projects, Mr. Michael Essien, supported this stance, stressing that workplace decisions should be based on scientific evidence, not fear or misinformation. The facilitator, Mr. Tiamiyu Hussein of the Lagos State Safety Commission, reminded employers that maintaining a safe and healthy workplace does not require discriminating against workers based on their HIV status.
The meeting covered HIV transmission, prevention, and treatment, reminding participants that there is no risk of acquiring HIV from food handled or served by HIV-positive individuals.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
