Stigmatization and discrimination in the context of HIV and AIDS in Kenya.
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TL;DR
KELIN intends to provide a legal aid scheme to enable PLWHA to litigate for their rights especially in light of the context of stigmatization and discrimination.
Abstract
In one of the Kenya Ethical and Legal Issues Network on HIV/AIDS (KELIN) seminars it was highlighted that stigmatization and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) is rampant in Kenya. To illustrate the various forms of discrimination several examples were cited during the seminar of how stigmatization and discrimination create inhuman situations and have adverse and far-reaching effects. The effects include: 1) they cause deep personal pain to the infected and affected; 2) they hamper efforts to respond to the needs of those infected and affected; and 3) they hinder open discussion about HIV/AIDS creating an environment which only facilitates the rapid underground spread of HIV. In view of this it was stressed in the seminar that individuals and society must not only guard against infection but also be compassionate to those infected and affected. The policies earlier proposed by members of the Kenya AIDS Nongovernmental Organizations Consortium were fully endorsed by the seminar participants. Since implementation of the policies is not sufficient KELIN intends to provide a legal aid scheme to enable PLWHA to litigate for their rights especially in light of the context of stigmatization and discrimination.