Educate people on HIV stigma

 STIGMA and discrimination against people living with HIV is still rampant in work environments and there is need for the HIV/AIDS workplace policy to be made compulsory, an advocate says.
Many companies and their employees still do not know the existence of the HIV/AIDS Management and Prevention (HAMP) Act, he said.
Lae-based Business Coalition Against HIV/AIDS (BAHA) and Person Living with HIV (PLHIV) officer Rodney Mukinere said: “A lot of business houses and non-governmental organisations in Papua New Guinea who are not members of the BAHA in PNG are lacking basic information on HIV and AIDS in their work places.”
Under the HAMP Act, a person can be charged or imprisoned by uttering words and comments such “HIV positive, AIDS positive person or AIDS victim,” or by treating someone differently because he or she is suspected to have contracted HIV/AIDS, he said.
Mukinere, who has lived with HIV/AIDS for the last seven years but still enjoys love and relationship with his family, said his status WAs known by his employer Hornibrooks NGI and fellow workers because the company had a work place policy and was a member of BAHA.
 “The government must consider taking compulsory measures for every business house organisations, NGOs, institutions and government agencies to join hands in the fight against HIV/AIDS should PNG wish to eliminate HIV/AIDS,” he said.