The International community of women living with HIV Eastern Africa (ICWEA) joins Uganda and the rest of the World to celebrate Philly Lutaaya, the legendary.
Philly Lutaaya laid a foundation for tackling stigma and discrimination. To ICWEA, Lutaaya expressed that internal and self-stigma are easy to break and eliminate if the external environment is favorable and enabling.
This 17th day of October 2020 provides an opportunity to commit to eliminating stigma and discrimination that continues to escalate even further during the COVID19 crisis. The families/households and communities have yet been attacked in the name of COVID19 prevention. The household is a critical structure in the fight against COVID19 and other vices like Gender-Based Violence.
Households and communities, therefore need tools to enable them to be part of the COVID19 response.
We all have a role to play and the time is now. Finally, this celebration/commemoration comes at a time when Uganda government has just committed itself and joined the Global Partnership to end all forms of stigma and discrimination, with a focus on the education setting
ICWEA welcomes and congratulates Uganda on this step. This decision provides an opportunity for the country to tackle HIV-related stigma and discrimination in schools as well as that that may result from COVID19.
Our call to action is: Stigma and discrimination have no place in the fight against pandemics like HIV&AIDS and COVID19. Let us join hands together to end stigma and discrimination
