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Does everyone really count? I do not think so. What I see in Nigeria today is a people who cannot get basic necessities of life like access to health care, information, education, simply because they belong to a certain class which has led to the death of so many innocent lives.
Over half a million women die every year in childbirth or from pregnancy related causes. Virtually all (99%) of these pregnancy related maternal deaths occur in low income countries like Nigeria. Why should a woman die giving life?
It baffles me to see that some Nigerian political leaders are so comfortable in their positions while the purpose for which they were appointed in the first place suffers. Growing up, my idea of leadership used to be that of service; I understood that a leader is someone who serves the people and that everything rises and falls on leadership. It is so unfortunate that some Nigerian leaders do not understand this.
It is sad to see that some individuals are treated differently because of their HIV status. Why, aren’t we all the same? UNAIDS counts 51 countries , territories, and areas that continue to impose some form of restriction on the entry, stay and residence of people living with HIV based on their HIV status; 5 countries deny visas even for short-term stays; 22 countries deport individuals once their HIV-positive status is discovered. Some universities in Nigeria still deny students admissions into the university because of their HIV status. Although there is an anti-stigma bill, it still has not been passed to law.
Nonetheless, it was on 8 July that the Namibian government lifted travel restrictions for people living with HIV and aligned the country’s legislation with international public health standards. The reforms that took effect on 1 July also remove entry restrictions against people living with other contagious disease.
Restrictions that limit movement based on HIV-positive status only are discriminatory and violate human rights. “I am heartened by this announcement in Namibia” said Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS Executive Director. “HIV-related travel restrictions serve no purpose and hamper the global AIDS response.
This good is what other countries should emulate and advocate for in this season.
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