HIV-related stigma and discrimination constitute a major challenge faced by people living with AIDS, according to Forearms of Change Centre, a local non-governmental organisation in Amman.
The government demands nationals to undergo HIV testing when seeking employment in the public sector and for non-nationals obtaining work permits, and denies them jobs if they are HIV-positive. Foreign nationals found to be HIV-positive are deported, Abdallah Hanatleh, director general of Forearms of Change Centre, told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.
Why do you want to be a scientist?
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) February 11, 2021
In January 1983, in just two weeks, Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and her team discovered HIV – the virus that causes AIDS. Since then she has spent her career working on behalf of those living with HIV.#WomeninScience pic.twitter.com/XCQ3MlNK6o
“Unfortunately, HIV patients do not find the support they need from the health personnel, and there are no deterring laws or punishment for violators of the rights of those patients,” he said
HIV patients face challenges in seeking and accessing needed services such as work, education, health, marriage and reproduction,” Hanatleh added.
Game changing discussion about HIV on @thismorning.
— Terrence Higgins Trust (@THTorguk) February 9, 2021
HIV test demo ✅
Difference between HIV & AIDS ✅
HIV has changed since #ItsASin ✅
How treatment works ✅
How PrEP works ✅
Support available ✅
Brilliant work @DrRanj, @Schofe and @hollywills #HIVTestWeek #ThisMorning pic.twitter.com/mfNWAM5ZR0
“We work on raising awareness of health and social issues. We target all nationalities in Jordan and all governorates, not only the capital, Amman. Our services are provided for anyone in need, including consultation, examination for all sexually transmitted diseases, psychological and social support, legal consultations and much more. We implement our programmes to provide health and social services to commensurate with the social context as HIV is a sensitive issue,” Hanatleh said.
Forearms of Change Centre was established in 2012 as a non-profit organisation that aims to empower local communities socially and environmentally, with its main target being the disadvantaged and the vulnerable, according to its website.
The total number of HIV cases registered in Jordan since 1986 is 480, including deaths. Twenty-one new cases have been recorded since the beginning of 2020, according to officials.
✨Michael Jackson, was one of the first entertainers to enlist in the fight against AIDS/HIV, and he went on to contribute and raise hundreds of millions of dollars to help sick children, set up scholarship funds, and to find new ways for entertainers to raise money and awareness pic.twitter.com/bu6EGKLEiu
— OMAR ARNOLD ♛ |✊?✊?| ♛ (@Omar_777_) February 6, 2021
“In the 80s and 90s, the virus was mostly transmitted from abroad, but in recent years more cases are diagnosed within Jordan,” Hiyam Maqtash, the director of the National AIDS Programme, told The Jordan Times.
She noted in a previous statement that 25 per cent of infections were registered among the 30-39 age group during the last three years. Moreover, in the last two years, more infections were reported among people between 20 and 24 years old, Maqtash said.
HIV treatment has advanced in leaps and bounds, but its powerful social stigma hasn't changed. #HIVPreventionDay https://t.co/VM537W0rq8
— TED Talks (@TEDTalks) July 17, 2018
The government provides every HIV patient with access to all health and medical services for free along with free follow-ups and tests, according to officials.
“The stigma and discrimination by medical professionals and employers often bar HIV patients from accessing basic rights, without any legal action,” Maqtash noted, stressing the importance of raising awareness and providing medical professionals with the right education and training.
Hanatleh called for more governmental programmes to help people living with HIV.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
