Condemned, invisible and isolated: Stigma and support

Christian Aid, June 2008

In February 2008, the HIV unit at Christian Aid, in collaboration with The Sudan National AIDS Programme (SNAP) and colleagues working on HIV in Khartoum, undertook a study to: 1: explore areas of concern for people with HIV; 2: identify issues of stigma, prejudice, and barriers to promoting better practices in treatment, care and support; 3: investigate; and social, economic and medical impacts of being HIV-positive in Khartoum.

In Sudan, and particularly in Khartoum, there is an urgent need for an action plan to address issues of stigma and discrimination.

A number of simple interventions would start to make this possible: the widespread promotion of workplace HIV policies, public anti-stigma campaigns and the dissemination of accurate
and comprehensive information; scaling up non-stigmatising, home-based care for people with HIV and their families.