Lagos Govt to prosecute cases of stigmatization against treated Ebola victims

Lagos State Government has said it will prosecute any person, group or organization that stigmatizes a patient who has been treated of Ebola and certified free from the virus

Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, said at a press conference yesterday, that the state Ministry of Justice has been notified to pick up any case of stigmatization, adding that stigmatization can make some persons believed to have contracted the disease not to come forward for treatment.

"Stigmatization may further make contacts and suspects to go underground. This may bring about the reversal of the gains we have already made; because such contacts and suspects may not come out and if they don’t come out, they jeopardize the life of those they come in contact with, including their families. We want to emphasize that the Ministry of Justice will take up any case of stigmatization. Anybody, either a discharged patient or a contact being followed up, who feels any form of stigmatization, should petition the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney-General and we will take it up from there." he said.