I have been in professional practice as a Medical Laboratory Scientist since 2006. At my first station, I was part of the team responsible for the HIV/TB Clinic. Aside from what I learnt from school on the symptoms of HIV and what diagnostic tests had confirmed, my guess on some obvious signs and symptoms of HIV were usually accurate.
We had a series of training and awareness creation to deal with stigmatization one of the canker that was affecting the success of the control programme in place. But I have come to realise that it will require a conscious effort from every individual to avoid stigmatizing people.
As usual, I was taking a stroll on the streets and I could not miss the smell of “hausa koko” as I approached it. I went straight to the point where people had gathered thinking I have finally settled on what I could take for supper.
When I got closer and saw the scars from the shingles on the face and around the neck, I was struck with the disease of my profession. My mind did not miss the possible diagnosis. I was at this moment thorn between leaving the place since my appetite had vanished.
I then remembered all the things I had learnt about avoiding stigmatization even if the person I suspect was a carrier of whatever infection I was thinking of. The biblical concept of love also struck me and I had no choice than to consciously stay there, buy the food and make sure I ate.
There are a lot of lessons to learn from this episode I had but briefly what I would want to say is that fighting stigmatization will not be successful if we do not consciously approach it from the love perspective. Answering the question of how one would want to be treated will take us far in the fight against this canker.
Let’s all be part ins fighting stigmatization consciously!