MONROVIA – The Chairperson of the National AIDS Commission (NAC), Dr. Cecelia J. Nuta, has called for the eradication of stigma and discrimination against people living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Liberia.
Dr. Nuta emphasized that stigmatizing individuals with HIV is not only harmful but also counterproductive to efforts aimed at combating the epidemic.
Speaking Thursday, August 21, 2025, at a Private Sector Engagement Forum organized by the NAC in Monrovia, she noted that addressing stigma and discrimination will help build a more inclusive society where everyone, regardless of HIV status, can live with dignity and access the care and support they need.
According to Dr. Nuta, an estimated 36,000 people in Liberia are currently living with HIV, including both adults and children. She stressed that the country has adopted strategies to meet global targets of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, urging stakeholders particularly the private sector to sustain ongoing interventions in the national HIV response.
“HIV stigma and discrimination are harsh realities that many people living with HIV continue to face. We must work together to end this,” she said.
Representing the private sector, Mr. Naty O. Davis, President of the Liberia Chamber of Commerce; Mr. James Strother, President of the Liberia Business Association; and Mr. Sander A. Cooper, praised the NAC for organizing the forum. They pledged to support the Commission in its fight against HIV.
According to them, reducing stigma and discrimination will ensure that people feel confident and secure in accessing and adhering to life-saving treatment, in line with universal human rights standards, free from denial based on health status or sexuality.
Providing an overview of the program, Madam Tracy N. Pency-Kyne, Commissioner for Partnership at the NAC, recalled that in 2021, the NAC and partners launched the HIV National Strategic Plan II (NSP II: 2021–2026) a five-year roadmap to fast-track Liberia’s progress toward ending AIDS by 2030.
She explained that the plan is aligned with the UNAIDS Fast-Track 95-95-95 targets and Sustainable Development Goal 3, which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all. Its core objectives include preventing new HIV infections, reducing AIDS-related deaths, and strengthening treatment, care, and support across all sectors government, civil society, private sector, faith-based groups, and development partners.
Pency-Kyne stressed that private sector involvement in HIV response has been underutilized, even though businesses play a critical role in national development by ensuring a healthy workforce.
“This forum marks a defining moment to build strong partnerships across private sector sub-sectors for meaningful contributions to the HIV response,” she noted.
She added that private sector engagement is vital in promoting healthy behaviors, mobilizing domestic resources, and raising awareness of the HIV Workplace Policy.
Strengthening collaboration between the NAC and private sector, she concluded, will ensure a coordinated response and help sustain Liberia’s gains in the fight against HIV.
