Haso holds education workshop for Zero Discrimination Day |04 March 2020
Mr Freminot addressing the workshop delegates (Photos: Louis Toussaint)
‘Discrimination is seen everywhere,’ says Justin Freminot
Zero Discrimination Day falls on March 1 every year and the campaign was launched for the first time by UNAIDS on World Aids Day 2013 and a butterfly is being used as its transformative symbol. To celebrate ‘Zero Discrimination Day’, the HIV Aids Support Organisation (Haso) conducted a half-day workshop yesterday under the theme ‘Zero Discrimination against Women and Girls’.
The delegates of the workshop came from different strata of the community such as nurses, Agency for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation (Apdar) staff, police officers, social workers, employment officers, prison officers and members of Haso.
In his opening speech, Haso chairman Justin Freminot talked about discrimination.
“Discrimination is seen everywhere from the community, health care to employment settings. Health care where people refuse to access service for fear of being stigmatised by the same health care provider supposedly caring for them, to employment setting where the right and dignity of workers are not protected, therefore affecting productivity and causing a reduction of earning in families. The stigma and discrimination that people with HIV face is often in essence the way the general community views and values them. It comes from their peers, family members, neighbours, health care providers, working colleagues and law enforcement officers.”
Mr Freminot urged everyone present to create a conducive environment in their respective institutions that promotes respect, tolerance and the wellbeing of people living with HIV.
“A change of mindset which allows people living with HIV to have no fear of exclusion and can contribute freely in the community and to the national economy,” noted Mr Freminot.
The aim of the workshop was to raise awareness, mobilise the service providers and advocate for them to be more receptive towards people affected by discrimination. It was also for all present to have a better understanding of the negative impact of discrimination.
The delegates also learned about human rights of people living with HIV, coping with stigma and discrimination and community mobilisation and support.
Georgette Furneau of Haso also presented some figures about HIV/Aids in Seychelles.
HIV/Aids local situation: 1987 to December 2019
Cumulative HIV cases: 1,183 (759 males and 424 females)
Cumulative Aids cases: 371 (235 males and 136 females)
Cumulative death: 205 (130 males and 75 females)
Cumulative HIV positive pregnancies: 172 females
Living with HIV: 864 (552 males and 312 females)
Left Seychelles: 119 (74 males and 45 females)
HIV/Aids local situation: January – December 2019
New HIV cases: 109 (74 males and 35 females)
New Aids cases: 18 (12 males and 6 females)
New deaths: 16 (12 males and 4 females)
New HIV positive pregnancies: 23 females
New cases on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART): 172 (107 males and 65 females)
Vidya Gappy
