Innocent Okonkwo
4 December 2008
Lagos — CATHOLIC Archdiocese of Lagos Health/HIV Co-ordinator, Rev. Sr. Rosaline Bambe (EHJ), has called on people living with HIV/AIDS to put shame behind by coming forward and live their lives as responsible members of the society.
She also urged others to go for tests to ascertain their HIV status.
Bambe who said this on Monday in Lagos during the "walk talk campaign" as part of the activities marking the world's AIDS Day said that many people were still afraid to come forward to assess their status.
She condemned the attitude of some members of the public who still stigmatise against those living with the virus.
"Those who are living with HIV/AIDS should not be stigmatised. Why can't we for God's sake show them love. Today is their own, who knows what happens tomorrow. Living with infected victims does not make anybody to contact the disease," she said.
The cleric described the turn out for the show as encouraging but added that funding had been the major challenge as those who participated in the rally which started at St. Cyprians Catholic Church Oko-Oba where mainly the youths who also paid their way to the venue.
The programme with the theme "To lead, empower and deliver" also has as sub theme "The role of the church in fighting stigma and descrimination.
Bambe said the church has through the preachings and teachings of the priests been sensitising the public on dangers of HIV/AIDS.
"The number of things that the church is doing is through preaching and teaching from the pulpit. People are also being educated on what HIV is, even in schools.
"For the married, they are being advised to live a faithful life, the unmarried abstain from the marital bed. Also in our health facilities we have workshops through this workshops we try to teach them how they could get infected by HIV and how it can be prevented," she further said.
The event witnessed debates, drama presentation among other things.
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