Tegan Joseph Mosugu
Center for the Right to Health
Garki, Abuja, Nigeria
During the Gallatin Global Human Rights Fellowship dinner, I remember us fellows having a roundtable discussion and raising numerous questions. One previous fellow highlighted the fact that we should not be too strict on the goals that we want to achieve. She added that sometimes what we might have in mind might greatly differ from what actually happens on the ground.
My fellowship at the Center for the Right to Health (CRH) has been completely different from what I expected. Though the organization does a lot of HIV outreach, it has not been focusing too much on the human rights dimension of the epidemic as of late. CRH deemed it more effective to outreach to and counsel individuals on HIV prevention and treatment before challenging the status quo. Although this might seem like an ineffective approach, it actually works. It works because there is a culture of silence associated with the stigma in Nigeria. Only a few of the violations are reported, with the majority going unheard.
With that said, it has been problematic to collect data that can support my research topic: “The Human Rights Status of People Living with HIV/AIDS.” Hence, I decided to do an in-depth organizational analysis of CRH as well as comparative research on what the literature says vs. what is actually happening on the ground. I have started my staff interviews and am excited to see the overall results once I am done with them.
Global health work and advocacy in Nigeria is really not an easy thing. Just outside the CRH premises, there is a signboard for HIV-positive individuals with a number to call for a “possible cure,” based in herbal solutions/traditional practices. As I process this mentally, I ask myself whether or not these practices bar persons with the HIV virus from the right to health.
My research at CRH has also made me ask whether it is worth it to focus on the gamut of human rights or just the right to health. Progress has been made in some states and hospitals when it comes to providing the right to health, but it seems that the government has been adamant about addressing numerous human rights issues.
I have loved my time at CRH because I have been able to realize that theory does not always meet practice in regards to human rights work and international development. My coworkers are also very hospitable and are motivated by the work the organization does. Of all of them, I am inspired most by my superior, Mrs. Vanessa Nwanguma. She is a Columbia-trained international lawyer and the legal powerhouse for CRH. Several of the lawsuits and actions taken by CRH are credited to her commitment to human rights law and public health.
I look forward to being back in New York and discussing and presenting my research findings. Even though the human rights status of people living with HIV/AIDS is not where it should be now, I know that one day the Federal Republic of Nigeria will get there. It takes time, but it starts with a group of people speaking up for the voiceless and powerless!