Equidad y Derechos Humanos de las Personas con VIH para la Reducción del Estigma y Discriminación

All people are equal. A total of 224 officials were trained in 2023 on the topic of Human Rights of people living with HIV to reduce stigma and discrimination. Participants stated that people living with HIV do not have to be isolated and have the right to live and participate actively in society. Children living with HIV also have the right to receive the same education in the same locations as other children. The participants of the training sessions recognize the responsibility of public employees to guarantee attention to LGBTQIA+ individuals and acknowledge that all people are exposed to acquiring HIV. The focus is on equity and Human Rights of people with HIV for the reduction of stigma and discrimination. Training sessions were conducted for public servants in Panama, with the following participation rates: Bocas del Toro (28 participants), Chiriquí (29 participants), Panama (145 participants), and Coclé (22 participants). The Defensoría del Pueblo is a Panamanian state institution created to protect the human rights of all inhabitants of the Republic of Panama. The training sessions led to an improvement in the index of prevention of stigma and discrimination among participants. The index before and after the training sessions is as follows: Bocas del Toro (83.3% to 77.4%), Chiriquí (83.3% to 77.4%), Panama (83.3% to 77.4%), and Coclé (83.3% to 77.4%). The progress of the index is 5.9% in all provinces. The content of this information is the responsibility of the Defensoría del Pueblo and does not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of USAID or the government of the United States. The information was made possible thanks to the generous support of the people of the United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).