The commission on human rights and administrative justice (chraj) has called for a strengthened stakeholders' collaboration and intensified public education towards the nation's hiv and aids response. according to ghana news agency:he Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has called for a strengthened stakeholders' collaboration and intensified public education towards the nation's HIV and AIDS response. According to Ghana News Agency, Mrs. Mercy Larbi, the Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ, emphasized the need for intensified public advocacy to counter the spread of new HIV infections by breaking barriers of stigmatization and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS.
She made these remarks during a two-day training session focused on enhancing the involvement of legal assistance organizations in service provision for HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) at Abesim, near Sunyani. The event was organized by the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) in collaboration with CHRAJ, with support from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Global Fund.
This workshop is part of a series being conducted nationwide across the southern, middle, and northern zones to tackle stigma, discrimination, and human rights issues linked to HIV and TB. It was attended by a diverse group of participants, including legal practitioners, traditional leaders, law enforcement officers, educators, and civil society actors.
Mrs. Larbi expressed concern over the increasing stigmatization and discrimination, as well as breaches of confidentiality faced by Persons Living with HIV (PLWH). She highlighted that stigma and discrimination are significant obstacles to accessing healthcare, social services, and justice, particularly for HIV-vulnerable groups. Mrs. Larbi stressed the importance of public education in addressing misconceptions and myths about HIV and called for broader stakeholder support, noting that CHRAJ and GACC cannot tackle these challenges alone.
She also pointed to CHRAJ's Stigma and Discrimination Reporting System as a crucial tool for individuals to report abuses and seek redress, urging the public to utilize this platform. In a panel discussion, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim Bambilla, the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regional Technical Coordinator for the GAC, noted that the commission had bolstered its partnership with the civil society community in these regions. However, he underscored the need for public support to effectively address the barriers hindering the fight against HIV in the country.