The Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWAN) has identified inadequate funding as a major obstacle to effective service delivery for people living with HIV across the country.
Mr Michael Edekwu, Programme Officer at NEPWAN made this known, During a two-day Strategic Stakeholders’ Workshop and Experts’ Meeting for the development of the National Training of Trainers (NTOT) Manual on the Protection of the Rights of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and other key populations in Nigeria with support from The Global Fund.
Mr Edekwu said people living with HIV continue to face serious challenges due to limited financial resources required to implement effective programmes and services at the state and community levels.
According to him, the National-level initiative is aimed at strengthening human rights awareness and empowering people affected by HIV with knowledge of their rights.
However, The training is designed to build the capacity of individuals who will champion the advocacy to their communities in educating other on their human rights and how to demand accountability from relevant institutions,” he said.
Edekwu explained that, participants trained under the programme are expected to step down the training in their respective communities, helping others understand how to seek redress when their rights are violated.
Many Nigerians remain unaware of the mandate of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and are also not informed that institutions such as the Nigeria Police Force have gender and human rights desks.
“This programme will help bridge that gap by equipping community members, youths, and civil society actors with the right information,” he added.
However, He further stressed the importance of diversity and peer-to-peer engagement in community education, describing it as a more effective approach.
He called on state governments to collaborate with NEPWAN to expand the reach of the initiative, noting that funding remains the biggest challenge,he added.
In addition, NEPWAN appealed to philanthropists and local stakeholders to support initiatives aimed at strengthening effective service delivery for people living with HIV.
Mr Edekwu also expressed hope that, The National Human Rights Commission would engage Federal and state governments, development partners and donors to support continuous on the step-down training.