Minister frowns at the stigmatisation of AIDS victims

The Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda, has instructed Cameroonians to stop the discrimination and stigmatization of AIDS patients in the Country.

Minister Andre Mama Fouda was speaking this Tuesday 3rd March 2015 in a press conference to launch a national communication campaign against the stigmatisation suffered by people leaving with HIV.

The initiative put in place by the Cameroon Social Marketing ACMS, is aimed at eradicating the phenomenon of the discrimination to HIV/AIDS patients, a problem that has led to a difficulty in the stop of the spread of the virus.

Facing press women and men, the Minister revealed that more than 80 per cent of Cameroonians are intolerance to people leaving with the virus, while barely 12 per cent of women and 18 per cent of men are tolerant to infected persons.

Still on the side lines, the Minister disclosed that 78 per cent of women are excluded from social events and 72 per cent from religious activities and worship areas meanwhile 81 per cent are excluded from family activities.

He said people leaving with HIV are victims of harassment, insults and at times open discrimination in public places, jobsites and even in homes.

Such a situation discourages the population to go for screening so as to know their status, thus the communication campaign seeks to reduce these phenomenon to its minimal level.