The Executive General Manager, Total Country Services, Mrs Bunmi Popoola-Mordi, has warned Nigerians to stop stigmatising people living with HIV/AIDS. Popoola-Mordi at the inauguration of an expanded HIV/AIDS preventive awareness project held in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, also urged employers of labours to create workplace policy that would favour people living with HIV/AIDS.

 

She said, “Stop stigmatising people living with HIV/AIDS; they can have a long successful life notwithstanding their HIV/AIDS status. They can play a very good role in society. “Workplace policy that will support people living with HIV/AIDS should be encouraged. We are an organisation that believes strongly that people should not be stigmatised.” Popoola-Mordi said the choice of Ijebu Ode was made by the company because of the high prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in Ogun State.

“Our fight against HIV/AIDS is a fight to protect our host communities, employees, families, organisatons, and society at large from the infection.  For us, the watchword is prevention, which is far less expensive and less complicated than cure. In the light of this, we are confident that with consistent efforts geared towards prevention, we can indeed have a near HIV/AIDS-free society,” Popoola Mordi said.

 

Also, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Business Coalition Against Aids, Mr Gbenga Alabi, said the business community had a role to play in the struggle to reduce the burden and impact of pandemics and reduce the spread of new infections.