Umunthu challenges health service providers
Art and Global Health (Artglo) has urged health service providers in the country to stop discriminating against minority groups such as lesbians, gay, bisexual transgender and intersex (LGBTI) when they seek medical attention.
Artglo, which is implementing a project called Umunthu Health Care in eight districts, said discrimination against LGBTI groups hinders efforts to break the communicable disease chain.
Umunthu Health Care programmes manager Rodger Kumalire-Phiri said this yesterday at Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN)—Kameza Campus in Blantyre during the closing of a two-day workshop which engaged frontline health service providers and KCN students.
He observed that combating discrimination, stigma and social exclusion of minority groups is the most powerful tool in changing attitudes, perceptions and beliefs of health service providers.
In an interview after the workshop, one of the participants a KCN third-year student, Tiyamike Phiri, applauded Artglo for the project, saying the workshop helped her to understand people’s personalities.
“They were teaching us to accept all people, including minority groups like LGBTI,” she said.
