Wife of the Edo State Governor, Mrs Betsy Obaseki, has urged members of the public to accommodate and show love to persons living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS).
Mrs Obaseki, who was represented by Dr Nosa Aladeshelu, disclosed this during a rally organized by the Edo State Agency for Control of HIV/AIDS (EDOSACA) to commemorate the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day, in Benin City, Edo State.
She said the Memorial Day is marked by United Nations to remember persons who lost their lives to the HIV/AIDS scourge and to sensitise people on the need to shun stigmatization and discrimination against persons living with the disease.
Mrs Obaseki noted that more people needed to join the campaign to spread the news that people who are infected can live normal lives, adding that there was a need to raise awareness in families and workplaces to curb discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS while ensuring that their rights are protected.
Wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Maryann Shaibu, urged stakeholders to intensify community mobilisation to improve awareness on the diseases, maintaining that contracting HIV/AIDS was not a death sentence.
She stressed the need for more effort in supporting persons living with the ailment, urging community support organisations and other public-spirited firms to provide succour and mobilise resources to make the patients feel loved.
