The Vice President for Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol. [Photo: Courtesy]

The Vice President for Service Cluster has called on South Sudanese to respect the human rights of people living with HIV and support them as equal members of the society.

Hussin Abdulbagi Akol made the remarks during the Launch of World Zero Discrimination Day in Juba on on Friday.

The event was organized by the South Sudan HIV/AIDs Commission and the Ministry of health to raise awareness about ending stigma against those living with the virus.

The event advocates for an end to all forms of discrimination and demands recognition and protection of the rights of people living with HIV.

Abdelbagi said the government will continue with efforts in raising awareness about the HIV /HIDs and the important of its early detection and prevention.

“Our government called upon the entire nation to support and embrace HIV -AIDS patients as equal members of our society,” he said on state media SSBC.

“It is essential that we view them not through the lens of their health condition but as individuals deserving of respect, compassion and understanding.”

“We must continue to intensify our efforts in raising awareness about HIV -AIDS and the importance of prevention, early detection.”

HIV is a virus that damages the human immune system.

The virus sexually transmitted but isn’t transferred in air or water, or through casual contact.

If untreated, it affects and kills the CD4 cells, which are a type of immune cell called T cell.

In June 2022, an aid worker warned of a surge in HIV cases among young people in South Sudan, describing the pandemic situation in young people as very bad.

Nunu Diana, who works for Young Positive Change, a national NGO says the organization has learned about the situation from a data entry at the government hospital in Juba.

The Chairperson of South Sudan HIV/AIDS Commission said in 2021, the country had achieved little in suppressing HIV transmission, although she stated that public knowledge of the virus has improved, and the level of stigma has reduced.