Nurse, headteacher accused of revealing teacher’s HIV status

HEALTH | EDUCATION | STIGMATISING 

ARUA - The Resident City Commissioner Arua, (RCC) Alice Akello, has vowed to investigate and bring to book a nurse and headteacher for allegedly stigmatising and disclosing the status of a teacher who tested HIV-positive. 

The nurse is attached to Oli Health Centre IV, while the headteacher is of a private school in Arua central division. 

The RCC was on the weekend speaking during the closing of week-long training for leaders of persons living with HIV (PLWHA) in West Nile in Arua city. 

Akello was disturbed to hear from the PLWHA leaders that, she was stigmatised after the nurse allegedly disclosed her HIV status to the headteacher. 

Human rights and AIDS activist Beatrice Were said the headteacher, whose details were withheld for purposes of investigations, allegedly shared information about the HIV status of the teacher to the staff during a meeting. 

Were said the rights of PLHA should be respected and protected. 

“This was an abuse of the rights of the woman. Her survival at the workplace is at stake. The matter was reported to the principal medical officer Arua city and the principal education officer Arua City for handling,” she said. 

Medics, teachers warned 

Were warned medical workers and headteachers against abusing the rights of HIV-positive teachers. 

“As PLHA, when we look for resources and apply for jobs to earn a living, people think we are going to die. For 31 years, I have lived positively and now, I have seen my grandchildren,” Were said during the training. 

“I am traumatised by the issue of this teacher who was stigmatised. The Government has fought stigma and nobody should stigmatise a person living with HIV,” Akello said. 

The leaders were trained by TASO in human rights issues and the responsibility of duty bearers in protecting PLWHA.